


The Life that Never Lived- Harry Potter and the ? ( Philosopher's Stone)

by bookhater95



Series: The Life that Never Lived- Harry Potter Reading the Books (???????) [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-04-06 03:24:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 152,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4206111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookhater95/pseuds/bookhater95
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is lost back in time with four people he felt he really should remember...with no memory and only seven books to find out the truth of his life, before it's to late to save his new family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. THE BOY WHO LIVED

So this was an interesting idea offered up by Stormblessed2 that I've never seen before. Instead of simply shortening the text as I did in the past, I'm simply going to summarize what they read as done below for the first chapter. Please let me know if it's intelligent and still makes sense, and I do hope this covers the trademark issue as I'm not using the text of the book. This isn't even technically an, MST: comments inserted in between the flow of a copied story, because they're commenting on what they're being told happened.

Update: Was recently talking to a British person who suggested I turn this into the Philosopher's Stone if I want to keep this as authentic as possible, which I do, so I went in and tried to fix all the mentions of the Sorcerer's Stone. If I missed any, do please point them out.

* * *

"Come on Lils, you think that fly on the wall is going to be the death of him. Let me give him one more go," Sirius tried again.

"I said no Sirius," Lily snapped back. "He's only four months old; he can't even hang on by himself yet. You need both hands to steer that monstrosity."

"But I can-" Sirius began again but was interrupted by the man on the couch.

"Aw, just let it go Padfoot. There's no point in arguing with Lily when she's in a logical mood. Try it again later when Harry won't go to bed."

Sirius grinned and Lily shot him an evil look for giving the man false hopes when suddenly there was a horrible sound of something huge smashing down in the kitchen. Faster than many could follow, Remus and Sirius had pushed Lily and the baby in her arms towards the stairs, drawn their wands, and advanced on the noise. Entering the kitchen they saw something that would turn their world upside down.

A young man was strewn across the Potters' kitchen table, which had snapped in half underneath him. The only reason he was not a slug on the floor for going into this house was that he looked oddly familiar. But this was impossible. James Potter was upstairs, probably trying to calm down his disturbed wife. Sirius was half surprised he wasn't down here himself by now. This had to be true, for no matter how much he looked it, this man was not James. They had a lot of the same face, and the boy even had his black hair, but there was something slightly off.

The man on the table stirred, groaning slightly and grabbing his head as if in monumental pain. The thought that someone had tried to use a Polyjuice potion to look like James was driven out of both men's mind as the eyelids slowly parted, and they saw a pair of bright green eyes behind those glasses. Remus had been too stunned to do much of anything but stare at the strange sight before him, but now that he was seeing life in the stranger he managed to gather his wits about him. "Alright you, whoever you are, you are to get to your feet slowly. No sudden moves or I will make sure that arm of yours never moves again." He demanded in a stern voice.

The familiar eyes slid over to the side to land on the two, and he frowned as he caught sight of them. Then his face grimaced, and he clutched his head and groaned as if he was suddenly in great pain. Sirius and Remus exchanged wary looks, wondering if this was some kind of trick, but as soon as it had started, the boy relaxed again. Once his face calmed a bit his eyes reopened, with words slurring slightly he stated, "alright," and very slowly he raised both arms above his head, then brought them back down to his side to help lift him up.

Both men felt another spasm of shock as they realized just how close in height this person was to their best friend. Turning a funny green color the man managed to right himself, giving both guys one more confused stare, then pass out again on the kitchen floor as soon as James Potter came skidding into the room.

"What the hell?!" James yelped in shock, seeing his doppelganger on the floor.

Sirius turned to him sharply and said, "James, do you have any idea what's going on?" His friend merely shook his head in shock, still staring down at the body on the floor.

"Well," Remus started cautiously while shifting his weight around. "What do we do now?"

"Obvious ain't it?" Sirius grunted. "Call some Aurors and have him carted out of our hair."

"Is that all you think about?" Remus asked with a small grin. "Your hair?"

"Well, it is marvelous," he grinned, pushing it out of his face so they could see his full grin.

James, on the other hand, surprised his two friends by saying, "No, not yet."

They both turned to him sharply as Remus snapped, "James, you can't be serious?" he quickly cut himself off by stating, "Don't even start," to Sirius before hurrying on. "A strange person just apparated into your kitchen and you want to leave him there?"

"Well," James started slowly but gained confidence as he continued. "It's just; he seems rather harmless right now doesn't he? We should at least give him the chance to explain." Remus and Sirius both exchanged concerned and even alarmed looks.

"That's it, who are you and what have you done with James Potter?" Sirius finally spat, only half joking in light of the current situation. James grinned and looked about ready to make a sarcastic comment until Remus seconded, " The James I know would never leave a stranger in the house with his wife and son."

James slumped his shoulders as he reconsidered, but then his eyes landed again on the youth on the floor. He straightened back up and looked his friends square in the eyes. "Look you two, don't tell me you're the ones that need glasses now? Can't you see the resemblance between this young man and myself?" The other two had to agree with this.

"Well, I suppose-" Remus began slowly but was cut off by yet another harsh light appearing. All three men yelped in shock as eight objects slammed down, exactly where the other person had been. The wands had never been put away but had remained pointed at the stranger. Now they were raised instead at seven books, and a note. Cautiously Remus and Sirius walked forward, and while Sirius bent down to examine the books Remus read aloud;

_'Harry, we're all so worried about you. Still trying to put the pieces together as to what happened to you, that potion's never been human tested before. We've full confidence that you're safe, but keep your head down as we both know that Death Eater's a known killers. I've sent these books to travel with your presence in hopes it will help in jogging your memories. As of now, though, it's still too dangerous to send another person after you, or we might suffer the same effects. The rest of us will follow as soon as I can find out how.'_

"That's it," Remus finished.

"These books are a bit odd too," Sirius said, flipping through the books. "They're just numbered first, second, etcetera." He held up the skinniest book in the lot and showed it to James, who could only agree.

"This is so weird," Remus muttered, his eyes flickering back and forth between the man on the floor, his best friend across from him, the ceiling where his little cub was with his mother, and back towards the books. Sirius was merely looking down at the still asleep body, kind of bemused now. "So, what do you guys make of it?"

James sucked in a deep lungful of air before deciding. "Alright, nothing's concrete yet. I say we tie up this chap, and make him comfy on the sofa until further notice. Bring Lily and Harry down here; I don't want them out of my sight until I'm more comfortable about this. We'll read the first chapter to try and decide how legitimate this is. After that we'll wake the kid up and get some confirmation."

"And what about this Death Eater?" Remus asked, perusing the letter again. "Apparently this boy here's not our only visitor."

James and Sirius hesitated, both sharing dark looks before Sirius said, "That just backs up what James said all the more."

"Waking him up might not help much," Remus pointed out, still staring at the letter. "These books are apparently here because he has no memory. This note seemed to have been written very hastily, look at how some of the words mash together. If it was any smaller I wouldn't be able to read it at all."

Sirius huffed, realizing both Remus and James were on opposite sides here, and he was the deciding factor. After thinking it all through he said, "I'm with James. If these books and this kid really are about our little Harry upstairs, the books should confirm it one way or another. Let's work through the first chapter until we come up with a better idea anyway."

Outvoted, Remus nodded and quickly bent down to tie up their visitor as James went upstairs to fetch his wife and child, and Sirius carried all of the books over and plopped them down on the coffee table back in the living room. Once Lily had come down with her baby in her arms, her eyes went straight to his duplicate on the couch. James had already explained the situation to her, and she agreed this was nothing to be hasty about. Leaving the older unconfirmed Harry to the couch, Lily and James took up the love seat with their baby in Lily's arms. Remus took the recliner, and Sirius sat down on the hearth rug in front of the fire.

Remus had managed to take the book away from Sirius during all this, so it was he who opened it to the first page and read out:

**The iconic first line of the series.**

Lily's face brightened with joy at those words, and as she clutched her son to her chest she cooed, "Oh, these books are about my little Hare Bear!"

"How on Earth could you know that from the first sentence?" Remus demanded.

"My sister, Petunia, married a man named Vernon," she replied, a bit of a catch in her voice, the sting of not even being invited to that wedding still smarting a bit.

"Good to know about your horrid sister's life," Sirius said sarcastically. "But what does this have to do about Harry?"

Lily mulled that over for a moment before announcing, "Maybe I finally make up with her. Maybe we finally get to push all that water under the bridge."

"I doubt that," James muttered so low his wife couldn't hear him, rethinking the first sentence. He did not, however, repeat himself louder because he did not want to hurt his wife's chances of this being true.

**Stating the job of Uncle Vernon.**

"What are drills?" James asked curiously.

"They make holes in the ground," Lily said quickly before waving Remus on.

**That his wife Mrs. Dursley has a very large neck she uses to spy on neighbors.**

"She hasn't changed much," Lily said with a small smile, "always been a bit nosy."

**The Dursleys have a son called Dudley.**

Lily pursed her lips, wondering when exactly this took place, as she had no idea whatsoever that her sister was even pregnant; they hadn't even spoken in several years.

**How the Dursleys wouldn't have been able to stomach if anyone knew their attachment to the Potters.**

For the first time, Lily started having doubts as well, but she quickly shook it off. "Perhaps they just don't want the other muggles finding out about the wizarding world. They're trying to protect us."

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they are estranged and do not speak to each other nor have they for years, because the Potters were the opposites of the Dursleys, Undursleyish.**

Lily flinched and looked down instead. There went that dream. In hopes of cheering her up Sirius piped up, "so if they get to make those kinds of words up, can I make everything cool as Siriusly as possible?"

James groaned and Remus pointed out, "Sirius, seriously is already a word. Just because you substitute your name doesn't change that."

"Rats," he muttered, snapping his fingers, and then looking around for the first time as if noticing something. "Hey guys, where did Peter run off to?"

"Oh, he left a few minutes ago," Lily said, pleased for the momentary change of subject. "Said he had to run some errands. He'll be back later."

"Why didn't he ask any of us to go with him?" James asked.

Lily rolled her eyes and stated, "He wouldn't," while pointing at Sirius, "you couldn't," she told her husband, "and I was busy with Harry. Though I don't know why he didn't ask you," she finished, turning her wide green eyes on Remus. Remus shrugged and as he had no idea, just went back to reading.

**The Dursleys would be horrified if the Potters had shown up and surprised to learn that the Potter's had a child Dudley's age.**

Lily again pursed her lips, this time in a bit of annoyance. Yes, she had written to her sister to tell her she was an Aunt now. When she hadn't gotten a reply she had tried to brush it off. Now she had learned that her sister had a boy at about the same time, and this hurt more than anything.

**They had never met their nephew, and they didn't want Dudley anywhere near this strange boy.**

Lily's feelings had sunk even lower with every word because clearly Petunia's attitude for her had only gotten worse. The other three boys in the room however looked outraged that anyone could think such a thing about a kid like Harry.

**The story officially starts on a Tuesday, and nothing about the weather suggests it will be different from any other day of their life.**

"Well that's ominous," Sirius chuckled.

**Mr. Dursley got dressed and ready for work, not noticing an owl go past the window. He kisses his wife goodbye and tries to do the same to his son, but the child is throwing a tantrum and the father's only reaction is to laugh.**

All of the adults exchanged startled looks, what kind of discipline was that? They all looked down at baby Harry in his mother's lap, who was now playing with Hickory's tail. If he had acted like that there would be a minimum of a verbal warning, not encouragement!

**He got into his car and began to drive away, only to see a cat reading a map on the corner of his street.**

"What?" Sirius asked, startled.

"That's what it says," Remus confirmed.

**Mr. Dursley convinces himself it was a trick of the light, though there is a tabby cat still sitting there.**

"Think it really was?" James asked curiously.

Lily shrugged and admitted, "Unless it's an animagus, what else could it have been?"

"Well, since the possibility of an animagus being in a muggle dwelling are slim to none, we'll just have to read to find out," Remus pointed out.

**While driving into town he tried to focus on his work and tried to shake the image of the cat from his mind and starts driving past people dressed strangely in cloaks.**

"Why is that strange?" James asked.

"Muggles don't wear cloaks dear," Lily told him patiently.

"Don't they get cold?" He asked in surprise. Lily just shook her head, not wanting to get into it now.

**He sees them all huddled together talking and at first he thinks it is some stupid new fashion trend, but then he sees a man older than him in an emerald green cloak. Mr. Dursley seems outraged.**

"What on Earth has gotten into us?" Remus asked, slightly amused but mostly irritated at such carelessness.

"Something really big must have happened," Sirius deduced.

Everyone else gave him 'duh' looks before Remus went on.

**He convinces himself they are of some collecting group and forgets about it.**

"Hopefully the rest of the muggles got that same line of thinking, don't want someone to get suspicious," Lily decided, personally happy he didn't seem to remember the one time he'd met James, who had indeed been wearing a cloak to that meeting as well.

**Since he works with his back to a window he did not see the owls swooping past his window all day, and in the process of yelling at a few people this seemed to put him in a good mood and he decided to walk across the street for a bun.**

"Well, it's good to see he has a healthy diet," Sirius said sarcastically.

**The people in cloaks had slipped his mind until he walked past them and noticed that they didn't have a collecting tin at all, but still he seemed determined to ignore them until he walked back out of the store with a doughnut and caught a whisper of what they were saying.**

"Never mind what I said about the health thing," Sirius joked.

"We weren't paying much attention to you anyway," Remus told him without looking up.

**The whispers are about the Potters, and their son Harry.**

Everyone looked around the room in shock at that. "What in the name of Merlin did we do?" James asked.

"Maybe you went on a killing spree." Sirius suggested innocently.

James threw a pillow at his best man, but as there really were no better suggestions, they looked back to Remus to continue.

**Mr. Dursley stops for a moment and considers demanding to know more of what they are talking about, but instead runs back to his office and begins to call his wife before talking himself out of that. Deciding Potter must be a common surname.**

"Not it's not," James snapped, "my family's a very prominent one, yet we hardly have very many lines left."

"It's actually pretty common among muggles," Lily told him. "Come to think of it, so is my maiden name. I've actually met two separate people who have no relation to me at all with my old last name."

"Oh," James deflated.

**He also admits to himself he wasn't even sure if his nephew was called Harry, it could have easily been Harold. No need to worry his wife, as they so often pretended Mrs. Dursley's sister didn't exist. If he'd had a sister like that...**

"Excuse me?" James snarled. "Like what exactly?"

"A witch," Lily told him with a straight face.

**When he got off work, he was still distracted by the matter and walked into a stranger, muttering 'sorry' on impulse.**

"Well at least he has manners," Lily said, "I certainly hope he takes those home to his son." She was still thinking of that breakfast scene of before.

**Instead of being upset the man hugs Mr. Dursley, a complete stranger, and tells him that because You-Know-Who is gone he could not be angered at all!**

There was a huge intake of breath all around before this news truly sunk in, and then they all burst out in an explosion of happiness. It took a good while for them to all settle back down, and then James puffed up and stated, "I told you I'd be the one to do it."

"What in your fathead makes you think that?" Remus demanded.

"Well, they said Potter. Like I said, don't think any other member of my family could have done it."

"Could have been your Grandpa," Sirius pointed out. "They did mention Harry."

Lily gasped and clutched her son tighter to her, but James quickly tried to sooth her while giving Sirius a harsh look. "Don't freak her out like that."

He turned back to his wife and said, "I'm sure it has nothing to do with our son. Maybe they are talking about my granddad." Though none of them really believed that, as even now both his grandparents were rather ill, and getting on in years. She nodded quietly as she looked down at her baby. As much as it pained her to admit, she did hope that it was her grandfather in law, Harry, rather than her son. She didn't want her little Hare-Bare on the same continent as that, that horrid blight on existence.

**Mr. Dursley is very confused now, and begins heading home hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"You know, this man's starting to remind me of my dad," Sirius said, rolling his eyes.

"That's a bit of a harsh insult," Remus noted. "We don't really know that much about this man yet. He could just be having a bad day." Sirius shrugged, he wasn't taking it back.

**When he gets home he sees the cat from that morning sitting on his garden wall, which only manages to annoy him more.**

"What's wrong with cats?" Lily demanded as she tickled Hickory's ear. The cat purred in content as it wrapped its tail tighter around the baby.

**When Mr. Dursley tries to scare the cat away, it only glares at him, leaving the man unsure as he wasn't used to cat behavior.**

"Still leaning away from the oddity of the cat?" James asked Remus. Remus didn't give in easy, so he hurried on.

**Through the rest of the night Mr. Dursley tried very hard not to mention his odd day. Mrs. Dursley had no problems at all, gossiping about neighbors and saying how their son had learned a new word, shan't!**

"That's a real accomplishment that is," Sirius said sarcastically.

**While watching the evening news, it mentioned the oddities of the owl sightings today, but they brush past it and go to the news with Ted.**

"Ted?" Remus asked, interested. "Don't suppose it's Ted Tonks? He's a muggle born who works for a news company if I remember correctly."

"Could be," Lily shrugged. "They didn't describe him. How should we know?"

**Next are reports of shooting stars, but they get past that with a joke about Bonfire night and the weather man instead insists there would be rain that night.**

James looked more amused than anything with all this going on, it wasn't like the whole of wizard kind to go about this type of thing. He could imagine he would't be much better, just the idea of Voldemort being gone from their life made him want to shoot off sparklers as well even if he'd restrain himself from really feeling hope of such a thing until it came to pass.

**After all these odd incidents, Mr. Dursley finally brings up the question of whether Mrs. Dursley had heard from her sister. She immediately gets defensive, which Mr. Dursley doesn't blame her for, since they normally pretended she didn't even have a sister.**

Everyone in the room looked rather upset at the reminder, but it was Sirius who looked rather guilty. Did he have any room to judge when he himself often pretended he did not have a brother for the opposite reason, for flouting his pure blood status?

**Mrs. Dursley denies having any knowledge of her sister's whereabouts as usual, and Mr. Dursley didn't dare mention that he heard a whisper about her sister's new last name.**

"Coward," James said, rolling his eyes. Though secretly he was pleased his name had this kind of effect on people.

**Instead he asks about their nephew, trying to confirm his name was Howard, but Mrs. Dursley does correct him and states that it is Harry and continues by insulting that name.**

"Hey!" James snapped. "Don't mock my son and grandfather's name."

Lily reached over and gave him an apologetic look for her sister.

Sirius on the other hand had something a bit more vocal to say, "Well it's a hell of a lot better than Dudley."

**When upstairs, Mr. Dursley takes one more look outside and sees the cat below, still staring down the street. He strains his mind for a while wondering what it could all mean, and then frets about what people would think if they were involved with that crowd, how he couldn't bear it.**

"Wow, thanks," James grumbled under his breath.

**After that he lets the matter go and they slip off to bed, Mr. Dursley deciding right before he rolled over that, what did it matter? This couldn't affect them.**

"His wife's related to a witch," Sirius said in disbelief.

"He's not the sharpest tool in the shed is he?" Lily asked.

**Cryptic narration stating how wrong Mr. Dursley was.**

Lily frowned as a new thought occurred to her. "If my sister still hates me, what do they have to do with our world? If we don't even make up, my son will have little, if anything, to do with them."

James just shrugged and slung his arm around his wife as Remus read on.

**Point of view switches back to focusing on the cat on the street where it sits, watching for hours, until a man seems to pop out of the ground.**

Everyone except Remus was grinning, though he was frowning in thought as he asked, "now how did he manage to apparate without the cracking noise being described?"

"He probably apparated to far away to hear the noise and disillusioned himself to walk there, don't change the subject Remus. Admit it's an animagus now?" Lily asked.

Remus sighed in irritation before admitting, "Yes, alright. But why's McGonagall there?"

"What makes you say it's McGonagall?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"What other cat animagus do we know? And with those markings," Lily pointed out.

"Yes, because there's no such thing as an unregistered animagus," James sniped.

"When are you three going to register then?" Lily snapped, throwing him a dark look.

James and Sirius exchanged uneasy looks before Remus quickly jumped in, "Give it a few more years Lily, it really is quite advanced magic, and we've only been out of a school for a bit."

Quickly trying to change the subject Sirius said, "There could have been other animagi that we don't know of, or haven't transformed yet. We don't know when these books are taking place."

James bypassed that and instead snapped his fingers saying, "I got it, what if Dudley's a wizard? It's a diluted line, but it could be. Might even explain why they're in this book. Petunia will have to make up with you." Lily looked all too pleased with this statement while Remus and Sirius looked disgusted that a spoiled child would be around their little Marauder Junior.

**The passage describes an elder man with flowing white hair and half glasses.**

"That sounds like Dumbledore," Lily said in surprise. "Now why are the both of them there? Surely you would just need one wizard there to test a young one."

"Come to think of it," Remus said slowly. "Why would anyone need to be there at all? Isn't there some kind of magic quill that says whether you can go to Hogwarts or not?" Stumped again, Remus went on.

**The book declared this man as Albus Dumbledore, who does not seem surprised to have a cat watching him as he rummages in his cloak until he finds a silver cigarette lighter, which he uses to make a street light go out with a pop.**

"Cool!" all three pranksters breathed together.

**After all of the lights are out he joins the cat on the Dursleys garden hedge.**

Lily raised a sharp brow in surprise. She, like the boys, was quite impressed with this bout of magic, though for a completely different reason then the trouble they could cause. She'd never heard of magic that worked with electricity,* most magic actually caused electricity to not work properly at all. She couldn't help but wonder if this was an invention of Dumbledore's own making, and hoped it came up again.

**He greets the cat who is no longer a cat but Professor McGonagall.**

"Told you it was McGonagall." Remus said with a grin.

"No one disputed that." Sirius huffed.

"You did." He reminded him.

"Not after you said- oh just shut up Moony."

"How can I shut up if you want me to read?" He asked with a wicked grin. Sirius satisfied himself with a scowl at the werewolf.

**McGonagall asks how Dumbledore knew it was her,**

James let out a slight snicker as he demanded, "why wouldn't he know? I've heard that Dumbledore himself was the one who trained her. Plus wouldn't the headmaster know what his employee looked like when she transformed?"

"It was dark," Lily said with a shrug, still more distracted by the story and wanting to move this along, "I'd be mildly surprised as well."

**He kindly responds she made it obvious by sitting so still. She responds by stating he would too if he'd been sitting on a brick wall all day.**

"But why was she?" Lily begged the book.

**Dumbledore asks why, when he himself had passed through dozens of parties to get where they were.**

"Wonder why he wouldn't have just apparated straight there?" James puzzled.

"Maybe he was checking out some local information?" Remus shrugged.

**McGonagall seems angry, stating how inappropriate she found those parties and the flocks of owls, and goes on saying how she would pin those shooting stars on Dedalus Diggle because he never seems to have sense.**

"Maybe not," James agreed, "but he's the nicest bloke you'll ever meet."

**Dumbledore gently reminds her how they've had little to celebrate in years. McGonagall rebuttals that it doesn't give them the right to be careless, going about the street and not attempting to dress in muggle garb while swapping stories.**

"You know, it's probably better that the wizards weren't trying to dress like Muggles," Lily pointed out. "Seeing as they don't do that good of a job anyway."

"Hey!" James pouted. "I do an alright job."

"Yeah, after your wife dresses you." Sirius mumbled, glad he was far enough away that James could only glare at him, seeing as the parents were trying to refrain from cursing anyone with their son in the room.

**McGonagall then asks Dumbledore if You-Know-Who really has gone, and Dumbledore confirms this as true.**

Everyone exhaled a breath at the same time, none of them willing to admit that they'd still had doubts of this truth. Now that Dumbledore had said it, it must be true.

**Dumbledore then asks her if she would care for a Lemon Drop, and McGonagall denies in a tone that implies she didn't see this as the time for candy.**

"Why not?" Sirius asked. "Any time is a good time for sweets."

"Sirius, you would stop in the middle of a motorway to pick up a Bertie Bott's Bean." Lily pointed out.

"Your point?" He demanded and Lily just rolled her eyes.

**McGonagall tries to carry on the conversation by talking about You-Know-Who, but Dumbledore cuts her off, insisting it makes much more sense to call him by the proper name of Voldemort.**

"I'm with Dumbledore on that," James agreed. "Never really did get why people don't say his name. Just gives him more power."

"You have to look at it from another perspective," Lily told them all. "Others who have been personally affected by the war have more reason to fear something. Saying Voldemort's name is like talking about a great war, don't talk about it don't think about it."

"That doesn't make any sense," Sirius argued back. "It's still going on, people are still dying. Not talking about it doesn't stop that."

"We could spend all day having this argument," Remus pointed out. "Why don't we finish this first hmm?"

"Fine," the others grumbled.

**McGonagall flinched at the very sound of the name, but Dumbledore seemed not to notice as he kept going stating it's so very confusing to call him You-Know-Who, and he didn't understand why people would be frightened to call him Voldemort. McGonagall tells him half in admiration and half in exasperation that Dumbledore's the only one You-Know- then corrects herself and manages to say Voldemort's name and continues saying that Dumbledore is different because he's the only one Voldemort ever feared.**

**Then Dumbledore returns that he is flattered, but states that is only because Voldemort had powers he never will.**

"That's only because he's too good of a person to use them," Remus said stoutly.

**McGonagall tells him that is because Dumbledore is too noble to use them.**

"So Professor Lupin, tell us the exact wrist movement of a switching spell." Sirius joked at once upon hearing his friend mimic a teacher.

"Shut up Padfoot." Remus snapped, trying to pretend he didn't like the ring of that title. "You know it was true."

"Yeah, but I didn't mimic a teacher now did I?" Sirius demanded right back.

"Just you wait," he grumbled.

**McGonagall then gets the conversation back on track by asking if Dumbledore knew the real reason why Voldemort has disappeared.**

"I'd like to hear this myself," Sirius admitted, then quickly pressed on as James opened his mouth. "You know the real reason."

While James pouted Remus pointed out, "Well, if you guys would stop interrupting me maybe we could."

"You've been talking just as much as we have," Lily told him sternly and instead of commenting on that Remus carried on reading.

**Now McGonagall's voice turns anxious, this seemed to be the real reason she'd been waiting for this man all day. When he does not respond she presses on that Voldemort made an appearance in Godric's Hollow to find the Potters.**

Everyone in the room now flinched hard at that, while a white looking James whispered, "I was joking, really I was. What did I do to have Voldemort coming after my family?" Sure he was in the Order, sure every member was a target, but what had changed to make the threat suddenly much more real than just being told that?

He looked desperately at his friends, as if begging one of them to tell him that he'd heard wrong.

Giving himself a slight shake, Sirius told him stubbornly, "I doubt you did anything to put anyone in danger James. Just read on Remus, I'm sure there was some sort of misunderstanding."

**McGonagall states the rumor that Lily and James Potter are dead.**

What was once a flinch could have counted as a convulsion, Remus actually looked like he was going to be sick.

"Li-like I said," Sirius managed shakily. "Mis-misunderstanding. Not true, McGonagall just heard wrong is all."

"There's still no proof this is real," James said quickly, as if determined to find a flaw in this. "Couldn't be too hard to find Petunia's name somewhere. This could be fake."

**Dumbledore bows his head in silent acknowledgment, making McGonagall gasp.**

Nobody appreciated this kind of confirmation, but with James' words in mind, Remus was able to go on in a still audible voice.

**McGonagall states her horror and disbelief, wishing this weren't true.**

James somehow managed to get out a weak chuckle, an echo of his old laugh, as he said, "Well, it's nice to know she really did care."

"Course she did," Lily mumbled, looking down at her son in fear. "At least, about me anyway, she loved me because I was her favorite student. She's actually pleased to hear you won't be causing any more trouble."

'So that's why he married you' Sirius thought 'even learning that you might die, you can still joke around.'

**Dumbledore comforts her for a moment, but then McGonagall pushed on and said that wasn't all she'd heard. That Voldemort tried to kill Harry Potter to, but he couldn't and now Voldemort has vanished.**

There was an odd, pointed silence after this little speech. Every eye in the room was either on the little baby in Lily's lap, or the black haired youth still passed out on the couch. No one could quite believe it; no one wanted to believe it. A world without Voldemort, free of fear and prejudices, yet at what cost? Remus was now trying to read as fast as he could, wanting to get a confirmation one way or another, fake or real?

**Dumbledore nods glumly. McGonagall gives her surprise by stating that he'd killed numerous people so why couldn't he kill that baby? Then she asks the obvious follow up question, how Harry survived?**

"Yes little Harry, do tell," Sirius said quickly, looking for any excuse to get the solemn feeling out of the room. "The world's just dying to know your secret."

"Now's not the time Sirius," Remus spoke softly, but it was a clear reprimand that Sirius took, well, seriously.

**Dumbledore tells her that they can only guess what happened because nobody may ever really know. While McGonagall blows her nose, Dumbledore turns his attention to an odd looking watch with twelve hands, but no numbers, with planets moving around the edge. The narration notes that it didn't seem to make much sense.**

"Why wouldn't that make sense?" James asked, glancing down at his own watch.

"Not to Muggles it wouldn't." Lily reminded him, happy for any chance to get her mind off of this depressing subject.

"Yes, but no one here's a muggle." James stated to which Lily just shrugged, unable to really answer that.

**Dumbledore seems to understand the watch just fine and says that Hagrid is running late. He then comments that he must have told McGonagall where to come.**

"That was dangerous," Lily snapped, fear for her child rearing its head. "Hagrid shouldn't have told a single living, or non-living, soul about where my baby was. He might not have really known it was McGonagall he told. Could have been a Death Eater out for revenge couldn't it?"

"Calm down Lils," James said gently. "You know Hagrid's a bit gullible with a loose tongue. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm. In fact, Dumbledore might have said it was okay for Hagrid to tell McGonagall." Lily huffed and did not look keen on taking this answer until it was confirmed.

**McGonagall replies in the affirmative, then asks why they were meeting here at all?**

"If she didn't know why he was coming there, then why was she there?" Remus asked.

Lily wasn't very happy about thinking on this, but offered, "well if, if we had died-" she hardly got the words out and flinched terribly but kept going, "then possibly McGonagall may be there for my sister's protection. The whole Order does know I've a muggle sister, it couldn't have been that hard for her to find out and check on them for me."

"That was, nice," Sirius struggled to say, not really agreeing this should have been a top priority, but it made as much sense as anything.

**Dumbledore tells her the people in the house behind them are the only family Harry has left now.**

The three boys slumped their shoulders at this reminder, but Lily looked even more panicked now. "Is he insane? My sister hates me and everything to do with Magic! This book has proven that so far, why would he send my son there?"

"Well like he said," James said quietly. "Voldemort's probably done my parents and yours in by now."

"That's right comforting that is!" Lily snarled, while James raised his hands in surrender and edged away slightly.

**McGonagall gets to her feet in a temper, listing reasons why this is a terrible idea, including the fact that their son kicked his mother up the street for sweets. Harry shouldn't live here!**

"I take back every bad thing I ever said about McGonagall." James muttered.

"That's a long list," Remus reminded him. "She did manage to catch us in the act quite a bit."

James shrugged and admitted, "She's trying to keep my son away from them, I take it all back."

**Dumbledore doesn't even seem to hear her, continuing on by saying he's written them a letter. McGonagall rightly asks if he really thinks he can explain all of this, in a letter.**

"I'm with her on that one," Sirius said making a face. "Would it go something like _Dear Muggles, this kid's a wizard who defeated an evil and powerful wizard, look after him until I can bother coming back, lots of love, Dumbledore_?"

Lily rolled her eyes at his antics and said, "Sirius, she already knows a bit about the magical world. It wouldn't be like that."

"Not the point." Sirius reminded her.

**McGonagall continues by saying that Harry will be famous for his act this night, stating that every magical person in the world will know his name.**

"That sounds right nice that does." James said with a cocky grin, rather pleased his name would be so well known.

"I think you missed the point of that statement James," Remus told him calmly, "but as Dumbledore's about to say it himself-" he turned his attention back to the printed words.

**Dumbledore replies that is exactly his point, it would be much better growing up away from all of that until he knows how to handle it.**

"Oh." James deflated. "Yeah I guess that would be a bad thing."

"'Guess?'" Lily hissed. "'A bad thing'? James Potter would you really want to be famous for this?"

"No." he admitted, mentally thinking he should put a bit more thought into what he said before he said it now.

**McGonagall concedes the point then asks how Harry is getting here. Dumbledore replies that Hagrid is bringing him. McGonagall doesn't seem keen on the idea, asking if that's wise? Dumbledore then firmly says that he would trust Hagrid with his life.**

"That's going a bit far." Lily said slowly. "I know his heart is the right place but, well, he can be a bit careless."

"Oh Lil's, you worry too much." Sirius said brightly. "Hagrid's the best kind of protection Harry could ever ask for. You've seen the size of that bloke."

"Who hasn't?" James agreed.

**McGonagall still doesn't seem pleased, stating that she admits he's a good person, but also acknowledging he could be careless.**

"Argh!" Sirius groaned. "Now we've got two bloody Professors in the room! You have no idea how horrid Professor Potter sounds."

"Be nice." Lily snapped, blushing slightly at that.

"If it makes you feel any better," Remus said slowly. "You could just call her Professor Evans, use her maiden name."

"No way!" James barked. "Do you know how long it took me to get Lily to admit that Potter was her last name now?"

"So you'd rather one of your family be a teacher then?" Sirius egged on.

James seemed to be in a physical pain at this dilemma, so to help him out a bit, Remus kept reading.

**The conversation cuts off by Hagrid arriving on a flying motorcycle, and then goes on to describe Hagrid.**

"Gotta love these books descriptions anyway." Sirius laughed. "That's Hagrid to a T."

"Can't wait till they do yours." Remus muttered, thinking of all the lovely adjectives that would boost his friend's ego another few degrees.

**Dumbledore greets him, and then rightly asks where he got the bike. Hagrid tells him that it came from Sirius Black.**

"What?" Sirius yelped in shock. "Why the hell would I give Hagrid my bike? I won't even let Moony drive it."

"Yet you encourage a four month old to hold on to the handlebars." James reminded him.

"Now that I think about it," Remus said slowly, "why would Harry have to go there at all? Sirius is his Godfather, which entitles him to be caregiver should anything happen to you two."

That had the others stumped until Lily snapped her fingers and said, "Maybe they have to deal with the legal side of this first, make the paperwork go through for Sirius to adopt Harry, and Harry has to be with relatives until then."

"I guess." Sirius grudgingly accepted. "Though that still doesn't explain why I gave up my bike."

"You know it puts him to sleep," James suggested. "Hoped it would calm him down in the meantime."

Accepting this for now, Remus went on.

**Hagrid continues by saying he'd gotten the baby out of the destroyed house fine, and that he fell asleep halfway through the trip. The three adults bent over the child, noting the baby's lightning shaped scar.**

"What?" Lily yelped, scanning the hairline of her beautiful baby frantically. "He doesn't have a scar."

"That's proof right there that these books are fake." James exclaimed, a smile cracking over his face.

Hating every movement he was making, Remus made to stand up and go towards the kid on the couch, but Sirius stood up and stopped him with a hard look in his eyes. "Wait until the chapters over," he glanced at the book in Remus' hands and decided, "There's only a bit left. Let him have some peace until then." Remus did not agree, but thought it best to finish this chapter before their world really did go to hell.

**McGonagall begins to ask if that was where, but Dumbledore cut her off and said yes, that he would have that scar forever.**

Lily pursed her lips, thinking 'well if Voldemort hasn't come to attack us yet, and Harry's still a baby in this, then maybe...'

**McGonagall asks if there's anything Dumbledore could do to remove the scar, but Dumbledore declined, saying that even if he could, he wouldn't. Scars do come in handy, pointing out his own which was a map of the London Underground.**

"Interesting," Lily muttered sarcastically, wanting this to be done with already so she could have a proper look at what could be her future son.

**Dumbledore takes the baby from Hagrid, who hesitates for a moment and then gives him a kiss goodbye before releasing a howl of misery.**

"Aw, that's so sweet." Lily said sadly. "He cares about my little baby."

"Who doesn't?" The others agreed, Sirius even so depressed he didn't even think to make a dog joke.

**While McGonagall kindly shushes him, Hagrid explains brokenly that it's too sad to think about, Lily and James being dead, and Harry going off to live with Muggles.**

"Well that's nice too." Remus agreed. "Glad to know you two will be missed."

"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" Lily questioned.

"It made James feel better," Sirius pointed out. "His life's goal is to end up on a Chocolate Frog card."

"Haha, very funny guys." James said gazing down at his son without looking up.

**McGonagall agrees it's all very sad, but there's no need to make so much noise.**

"Remind me never to go to her for comfort." Sirius muttered with a frown, not even wanting to think how he would be feeling right now.

"Why would you?" Remus asked, slightly disturbed at the oddity of that sentence anyway.

**McGonagall tries to comfort him by patting him on the arm, while Dumbledore steps forward with the child and places him on the doorstep, the letter tucked into the folds of his blankets and then comes back to stand with the other two.**

Lily's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she held her tongue to see if what she was thinking was true.

**For a minute the three simply stand there watching the infant while each of them obviously distressed by what they are doing, but then Dumbledore pulls himself together and says he would see them soon to join the celebrations. Hagrid agrees, while also pointing out he should get this bike out of here.**

"Well I should hope so." Sirius grumbled, trying to find something else to think about rather than the situation at hand.

**Hagrid leaves on the bike and Dumbledore turns to McGonagall and says he would see her soon. Her only reply is to blow her nose.**

"You think that means 'Yes sir', or 'I still can't believe what you're doing'?" James asked with a straight face.

"The second, go with the second. It makes me feel better." Remus advised.

**Dumbledore walks down to the end of the street, pulls out his Put-Outer and puts the lights back, sees the end of a cat tail disappearing at the other end of the street, then says one more goodbye to Harry before disappearing as well.**

"Oh for Merlin's sake." Lily hissed, while the other three looked on at her in shock.

"Something wrong Lily Flower?" James asked with some concern, she looked quite deranged.

"I've just found out my son's going to live with my sister who hates me, we're both dead, and now they've left my son who has an injury on his forehead ON THE DOORSTEP!" Hickory streaked away from the couch and curled up on top of the mantel to glare down at the lot of them. Little Harry woke up with a startled wail and looked around for the source disturbing his play mate.

James and Remus tried to make soothing motions with their hands but she was on a rampage, she even thrust Harry into James arms so she could stand up and continue. "They even said it was going to rain that night. What were they thinking! They could have done something, anything, other than what they just condemned my only boy to."

"Lils-" James started, but Lily did not seem in the mood to calm down, she stalked over to the body on the couch, determined to get this proven once and for all. Before she got too close Remus begged.

"Come on Lily, one more paragraph, see?" He even flipped over the book so she could see it. "Let me read this aloud, and then you can have it out, alright?" Seething, she hovered over the body with narrowed eyes, and fearing for his health Remus quickly read out.

**The passage gives a brief description to how normal the whole thing looks, and what Harry's first few days would be like, including being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley.**

"Sounds like a lovely first few days," Sirius muttered without thinking, and then hopped backwards onto the fireplace in shock at the look Lily gave him.

**Harry couldn't possibly know that at that very moment, the magical people all over the world were raising their glasses and cheering 'To Harry Potter- the boy who lived!'**

When Remus looked up to indicate he was done, Lily rushed forward and pushed back the long black bangs that would reveal their destiny.

* * *

*Question came up because of Queen of Creating's equally as intriguing Reading fic Thin Pages, thanks!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know, even in PM or some other way, if this is worth continuing in this manner, or if I should be trying other avenues.


	2. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The text is from the actual book by J.K. Rowling herself, I'm simply using it now for the purpose of this story
> 
> Added note: Yay, not only did I just get an offer for a beta, but someone else showed me how to bold the text. The quality of this story is about to increase one hundred percent. As soon as I'm done updating this story, I will start posting chapters for Chamber of Secrets.

With the air of one pulling off a murderer's hood, Lily pushed back the black bangs to reveal the mark upon that forehead.

"I don't believe it-" Lily murmured quietly.

"It's really there-" Remus muttered.

"Like lightning-" James whispered.

The other three were stunned into silence, only managing to finish half a sentence, but Sirius, ever the rebel, burst out laughing. The others all exchanged worried glances, Sirius sounded quite deranged, but between loud guffaws he managed to speak. "Don't you guys see? This isn't real! It's got nothing to do with us. Maybe some alternate dimension where their Harry Potter was born with a scar on his forehead, but ours wasn't."

He went over to James and scooped baby Harry out of his arms, the little kid looked up at him with wide green eyes as he brushed aside the hair in the way and showed the others. "No scar, no problem."

James looked quite relieved and went over to kiss the center of his child's forehead as if in blessing for such a thing not existing, Lily and Remus, on the other hand, exchanged uneasy looks.

"We can't yet prove that Sirius," Remus said slowly. "There have been no dates, nothing to indicate when this book takes place. They didn't even say how old the little baby Harry was in that story. You were mentioned once, and I wasn't mentioned at all."

"Exactly!" James said, now starting to get excited. "That just proves what Sirius said. That's not our son."

All three boys stopped in their discussion as they heard something. It wasn't loud, or obvious, but a noise they all recognized none the less. Lily Potter had not moved an inch since the discovery of the scar and had merely been hovering over the familiar face with a look of devastation. It slowly turned to revelation, which had finally morphed to tender love. Slow steady tears had been trickling from her green eyes, splashing slightly onto his face. She did not seem aware of it, or anything else around her for that matter. What had alerted the men was a slight sniffling sound coming from her, as she slowly looked up at her husband.

"Don't say that James, please don't say that."

"But, Lils-" he started weakly but stopped when her eyes flickered back down.

"This is my son," she paused and took one step towards her husband, but still within the range of the sofa, then reached out and placed a hand on her only child. "Our son."

James seemed torn, his eyes flickering between the man on the couch and the infant in his best friend's arms. Sucking in a huge lung of air, he finally said, "You, you want this to be true, do you? For us to-" his throat convulsed, he seemed incapable of getting the word out, but pressed on with everyone understanding him, "and our child to go and live with your sister."

She shook her head sadly from side to side and said quietly, "No not want. How could I ever want such a future? But it is ours. Our son grows up alive and healthy, and that's all that matters to me." She took her hand off the boy on the sofa and stepped forward to bury her face in James chest.

With a look of defeat on his face, James wrapped her up tight and the two took a moment to accept what was to be.

Remus and Sirius were not pleased, but Sirius could come up with nothing to say to bring the conversation around back to his line of thinking. Remus opened his mouth, and with a determined look on his face, he said, "I think we should finally wake this Harry up. He might be able to answer a few questions."

"Maybe not Moony," James said slowly, still not looking up from his wife. "You read the letter, he probably has no memories and doesn't even know who he is, let alone where, or when, he is."

Remus shrugged and raised his wand anyway, "Still, we've nothing to lose at this point."

No one in the room tried to stop him from using the spell to wake Harry, for they all had the same feeling about them; a sense of purpose, to strike out and fix what was wronged.

After a blast of light, he started to stir and raised his hand to his face where there were still a few wet spots from when Lily had cried on him. Then slowly, ever cautious, he opened his eyes and let them wander about the ceiling for a few moments before his eyes slid sideways to land on the four adults hovering over him.

For the briefest moment in time, something flashed in those emerald eyes, recognition maybe, but then it was gone to be replaced by solemn confusion.

He opened his mouth, closed it again and seemed to be mulling something over, then opened it again and finally said, "Hello."

This was hardly the response any of them had been expecting. Honestly, they were all expecting a barrage of questions the moment he found his tongue.

The boy was no danger to any of them, seeing as Remus had never returned his wand to his pocket, but the others still tensed up a bit as Lily went forward and lowered herself down to his eye level as she said quietly, "Hello yourself, do you know who I am?"

He frowned again, and he seemed to be struggling desperately with something before he answered, "No."

Lily nodded as if this did not surprise her, "My name's Lily Potter. Ring any bells?" she asked.

There it was again, an almost pained look about him as his mind grappled with something none of the others could see. The pause was longest of all so far until eventually he shook his head no in a depressed manner.

This time she frowned as if really hoping for a different response before asking gently, "Can you sit up?"

This too took a moment to process, but he then started shifting his weight around and looking down at his own body as if trying to remember how to do this as well. After a good ten minutes of seemingly nothing, he swung his legs down onto the carpet and sat up with shaky arms. Yet when he was done, he grinned up at them, seeming quite pleased with himself.

Now that he was sitting up, he seemed a bit more confident about himself and looked around the rest of the room and especially the other people with wide alert eyes. The others were just waiting, a bit tense still, for him to say something. They wanted him to make the first move, unsure how to proceed themselves.

After a time he cleared his throat and asked the room, "Do you know my name?"

Lily exchanged a look with James, who also came forward so that he was on eye level with him before he answered. "If you are who we think you are, then your name is Harry Potter, and you're our son."

He nodded once, his eyes flickering between the two and then said, "I can't remember anything. It's a bit disconcerting to not even be able to pull any kind of memory. But I believe you, I don't know why, but I guess I do."

"Go check a mirror," Sirius spoke up for the first time. "Trust me, you'll see exactly why."

"Very funny Padfoot." Remus rolled his eyes before turning to Harry, "Well then I guess we have to introduce ourselves since our dear friends have yet to, my name is Remus Lupin, and this is Sirius Black. That little baby he's holding is you by the way."

"Way to freak the kid out Moony," James muttered as Harry's eyes went wide and flickered to the baby in Sirius's arms. He then clutched his head again, pain flaring all over, before he relaxed again and asked, with agony still lacing his tone;

"What, but I mean, what?" he stuttered.

"Yeah know, I think we got that the first time," Sirius chuckled.

Lily reached forward and took hold of her son's hands gently, "We don't know how dear, but you're not from this time period. You shouldn't be this old right now. You were only born four months ago. Those," she gestured to the books on the table, "and a note came with you when you crashed down into our kitchen table. Does any of this ring a bell?" She asked kindly.

When Harry shook his head no, Sirius snorted and said, "Well I'd kind of hope not, since he was unconscious in everything you just described."

"Keep up the commentary Sirius and you won't be allowed to hold Harry for the rest of the day," James said in a pleasant voice.

Sirius scowled at him and tightened his hold on his little pup, but chose not to reply.

"So? What now?" Remus asked slowly, "I could try to reverse the memory charm placed on him, but it would be slamming a lot of stuff back all at once, could be dangerous. The kids lost his memories so he can't prove anything," he tapped the book looking around for some kind of answer.

Lily shot to her feet and snarled, "I told you Remus, this is my son. This is proven and nothing's going to change that so stop trying to say otherwise."

Remus quickly raised his hands in surrender and took a quick step back, while James said, "I'm with Remus, can't take the risk of trying to replace so many memories at one time. In fact, I think the best we could do is read these books with him, I'm rather curious myself about his life."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," Lily approved before sitting down on the sofa next to Harry.

Harry's eyes flickered around the room before settling on Lily, "So, err, if I read these books with you guys I'll remember everything again?" He confirmed.

"Maybe not everything," Remus conceded. "But hopefully these will help jog your memories. The more we replenish the more stuff should come back on its own."

It seemed that Harry didn't understand all of this, but he quickly nodded his head and agreed that he'd like to try.

"I have an idea!" Sirius chirped as his stomach rumbled. "Why don't we let Harry read the first chapter on his own, so that he's caught up with us? While he does that, we can eat."

"Sirius, you just ate two hours ago," Lily reprimanded.

"Yeah," he shrugged, "but you guys didn't, and I'm a bottomless pit."

"I like that idea," Harry agreed, eyeballing the book. Anything to get his memories flowing. He reached over and was about to grab it before he looked at his own hand and frowned, then looked up at his parents and said, "Err, where's a loo?"

James chuckled a bit before answering, "Down the hallway, second door on the left."

Harry thanked him, then looked down at his legs. Just like everything else he'd done, he sat there for a good few minutes before it seemed to occur to him that his legs would get up and move as he choose. He managed to walk over to the indicated door while only stumbling a few times and ramming into a dresser once.

Once in the kitchen, Remus gave a quick swish of his wand repairing the broken table, and when Lily bent down to start digging something out for a quick snack from a lower cupboard she spotted something gleaming now beneath their fixed furniture. Without the boys noticing, she filched it from the floor and entered it into her pocket.*

While Lily prepared a meal for them all, Harry managed to go into the bathroom for several minutes and just managed to close the book on his finished chapter when they all came back.

He locked eyes on his father for a long time, and they knew that he was probably comparing the sights he'd seen in the mirror to the man across from him. He then turned the replicated eyes on his mother. Taking in a deep breath he asked, "Why do I have so many scars?"

"Scars?" Lily asked, panicking immediately, "You only have the one." She reached forward and touched him gently on the forehead.

Harry relaxed under the touch and nodded, his fingers stopping the movement but still lingering as he continued, "Yes that one, but I have a few others." He raised up his fist and indicated some white writing on the back of his hand, though the words were too faded to clearly make out. He then lifted his shirt to reveal the other scar, dead center in his chest, another bolt of lightning.

All the adults exchanged horrified looks before looking back at Harry. Finally, Remus said slowly, "We don't really know, like your mother said, your time has come after us so this will be all new to us too. But I'm sure we'll find out."

Harry beamed at Remus, mostly for the 'your mother' remark, he seemed to like that.

A sudden flare of hope surged in Lily as she took a golden loop back out of her pocket and placed it in his hand, asking, "does this help at all?"

His eyes gleamed as he inspected it, before slipping it on as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Then his face fell as he kept looking. He added on without any real hope, "so I guess you wouldn't know about this either." He held up his left hand where the ring now proudly sat.

"Nope," Sirius said, popping the p for emphasis but his eyes lingering with maddening curiosity as well. "Though if you remember that first, I'd love to know."

Harry really did try as he gazed down at it, but all he got was the faintest of stirrings in his gut. He loved this ring and whoever it represented, but nothing came with it. Not a name or even the glimpse of the woman it was paired with.

"I'll read next," Lily offered, taking the book gently away from her son and flipping it to the right chapter, now just hoping to take that devastated look away.

"Look on the bright side, with these books here, we can change our future however we want," Sirius managed to get out before she started.

* * *

*Idea suggested by Nadiya C, this was such an adorable idea I had to rework this chapter just for that moment...and also I realized I never told that the table was prepared.


	3. THE VANASHING GLASS

"Yeah," James agreed with a slight grin. "One of us could be Minister if we play our cards right!"

"Or famous!" Sirius shouted.

"Or a teacher!" Remus jumped in.

His two friends froze with disgusted looks on their faces. "Honestly Moony, I will never understand why you insist on wanting such a profession," Sirius muttered.

"Yeah, nothing but paperwork and listening to kids complain all day," James agreed.

"Unless he got cool students like us!" Sirius amended, with a touch of excitement. "Then they could help make life entertaining."

Remus paled slightly at the prospect of teaching children like the Marauders because he had firsthand experience what kind of disaster that could be. Harry said nothing; he was merely watching his family with rapt attention. The first chapter had struck a hard cord inside him, as he realized he would grow up away from these people. Did he want his memories back if his own parents weren't going to be in them? He never found a chance to raise these questions however, since his mother had decided to ignore the others and start reading.

**Ten years have passed since the first chapter, and the Dursley's house hasn't seemed to change at all. The only thing marking the change of time was the pictures above the mantel, showing the years of Dudley.**

"Really?" Lily asked curiously.

"I do hope that means that we finally got through to Dumbledore," Sirius said with a straight face, "and that Harry's living with us now," and he gestured towards Remus, who was shaking his head sadly.

"You, Sirius, he'd be living with you. Werewolves aren't allowed to adopt, you know that." Harry jerked once in shock, as he appraised the man sitting next to him, but after a brief moment he relaxed again and pretended he hadn't heard a thing. If wizards existed, why not other creatures as well?

The others had continued on in the conversation, obviously not realizing such a slip had been made.

"Still, I would be able to adopt him and you'd be living with us. I could use all the help I could get in raising a kid, and we all know how much smarter than me you are." Sirius had continued in a slightly sarcastic tone at the end at that old joke.

"True enough," Remus chuckled, then frowned. "Though I'm still worried, if Harry's no longer living there, why would they make such a comment at that last sentence?" With a heavy sigh, Lily read the next sentence.

**Yet Harry was still there, currently asleep, but not for long.**

"Damn!" Sirius snarled.

"Then why didn't we come and get him?" Remus wondered, and they all turned to Harry as if expecting an answer. He however merely shrugged, as lost as them.

**His Aunt Petunia was awake and she used her shrill voice to yell at him to get up, now!**

"What a pleasant wake-up call," James said as he rolled his eyes.

**Harry wakes up very suddenly, his Aunt seemed to have walked away for a moment as he hears the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove.**

Remus quirked a brow in surprise at the comment as he thought, how thin was the walls in that house for Harry to have heard that?

**Harry lay back for a moment and thought of the dream he'd been having, it was a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it.**

"Wow, what a mind," Remus whistled. "To be able to remember that."

"I don't think he actually remembers," Lily shook her head. "Just his subconscious dredging up things."

"If only my memory was still that good," Harry sighed, rubbing his temple in agitation.

 **Then his aunt was back, demanding to know if he was up yet so that he could look after the food. It was Dudley's birthday, and Harry had to make sure not to burn** **anything.**

That stopped Lily cold as she turned from the book to her son, "They made you cook? You were probably just ten, and they had you cook?" she demanded, eyes flashing.

"Maybe I like cooking," Harry shrugged, unable to come up with any other reason for this.

"What's the big deal?" Sirius shrugged. "If he can reach the stove he can get his own food, faster that way."

Lily groaned and James shot him a look that clearly said 'you're not helping.'

 **Harry** **groaned because** **he seemed to have forgotten this fact.**

Harry jolted in surprise, suddenly having a horrid sense of Déjà vu, but why? Was Dudley's birthday a major event in his life, something that would help him? With high hopes he egged his mother to go on.

**Harry got dressed and exited his bed, which happens to be in the cupboard under the stairs where he slept.**

It took a moment for that to sink in, but once it did you'd think someone had died in the household. With a snarl of rage Lily dropped the book and lunged to her feet, as if she were intending to march to her sister's house with an army and tear every joint out of place, slowly. James didn't know what to think, was this some kind of sick joke? He reached down and picked up the book, determined to see this for himself. There were the words printed bold as brass upon the page. He too got up and made to go and curse those Dursleys to jelly for forcing his son to sleep in a cupboard. That was a place for shoes, not his son!

Remus and Sirius seemed to be more in shock, still reeling from the fact that they had not picked Harry up at the first moment. Where were they? Had something happened to them too? Perhaps the death eaters had killed them as well, but Dumbledore and McGonagall had not known yet, or it had happened a short time later. It was a very surreal fact to realize you were going to die. Harry was just looking around the room in confusion;he did not really understand how or why they were so upset. Wasn't that normal?

Losing air in her lungs, Lily ceased spouting verbal abuse and strode towards the door, wand in hand. No one made a move to stop her, so Harry quickly got to his feet and stood in front of his mother with a pleading look. "It's okay, it hasn't happened yet. Or it already happened, or...oh never mind. The point is, can't do much about it now can you? I'm okay, and I doubt I was in there long. Maybe something was wrong with my room." He paused as he tried to remember this, and a vague memory of cramped and dark living conditions crept upon him, but nothing more than that.

James shook his head violently from side to side and said, "Harry, it said that was where you slept, and even if there was something wrong with your bedroom, you should share a room with your cousin before you slept in a bloody cupboard."

Feeling exasperated but unwilling to let his parents leave him, he cast his mind about for some other way to keep them here, until the baby started crying. He looked around in relief as little baby Harry kicked up a fuss in Sirius's grip, and Lily deflated as she rushed over to comfort him. James seemed to be teetering on edge, obviously wanting to go and right the wrong that had been done against his son, but looking into both of their faces; decided he couldn't leave, not quite yet.

With a sigh of relief Harry went back to the couch and sat between his parents again, and Lily transferred baby Harry to James while she got the book and went back to her place, while the older Harry sat rubbing at his temples. Just from the little he had read, a vague sort of feeling had come over him, along with the cramped feeling of before. How long had he lived in that cupboard? It must have been a while, if he could remember nothing more than that spacing. His mother, finally a little bit calmer, was ready to read on.

**When he gets to the kitchen he sees the table hidden beneath Dudley's presents. Noticing a new computer, television, and racing bike.**

When James opened his mouth to ask, Sirius quickly jumped in with, "Muggle stuff James. Don't ask."

The three all threw him surprised looks before James really did ask, "How would you know that?"

Sirius snorted and reminded them, "I did take Muggle Studies, remember?"

"But you actually paid attention?" Lily demanded, only half joking.

Sirius simply shrugged, enjoying their shock. "Sure, I took the class to piss me mum off. What better way than to get a NEWT in the class." Lily and Remus both rolled their eyes before Lily went on.

**Harry silently wonders to himself why Dudley could want this last thing, as he was adverse to any form of exercise that didn't involve punching someone.**

"Oh great," Lily sighed. "My son's going to grow up with a bully."

**Dudley's favorite victim was Harry.**

"Hey!" The boys all snarled, before James spoke. "Great, he not only grew up with a bully, but he's victim to him as well."

"I'm sure his parents at least try to prevent it," Lily said in a hopeful voice.

Remus snorted, unconvinced. "Please Lils, do you not remember where he sleeps?" Again, they all turned to Harry, like they wanted an answer, but he just shrugged. He vaguely remembered being knocked to the ground quite a bit, but not much else or who did it.

**Harry describes himself as being small and skinny, and equates that to growing up in the dark cupboard.**

Lily and James both pursed their lips at the reminder, while Sirius and Remus laughed. "Nope sorry kid, that's genes. Your father was a scrawny git when I first met him," Sirius snickered for Harry's benefit.

"Oi!" James snapped, but had no way to deny it.

Harry merely beamed as he realized he was even more like his father.

**His stature seemed all the smaller because he only had clothes that once belonged to Dudley, a boy four times his size.**

"Are you kidding me?" Lily yelped in anger. "They don't even buy him his own clothes?"

"That can't be right," Remus frowned. "What on Earth would the school think? One boy comes in looking prim, while the other looks half sick?" James and Sirius were fuming up a storm, both wanting answers and revenge but unclear of how to get it yet.

**Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes.**

"A perfect combination of your parents that is," Sirius told him, managing to bring up a smile for the older Harry, who again couldn't help but beam with pride.

**He wore round glasses held together with Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.**

"Let me guess," Remus snarled. "Your Aunt and Uncle couldn't be bothered to ever get you new ones, or even bother to ask how they were broken?" Harry merely shrugged and tapped the tip of his glasses, deciding they were probably only fixed now because he had fixed them himself with magic.

**The only thing Harry seems to like about his own appearance was the scar upon his forehead. When he'd asked how he'd gotten it, his Aunt had told him 'in the car crash where your parents died.'**

"What!?" shouted all of the adults in the room, outraged that Petunia would lie about something like that. The combined volume of their fury once again set the baby off, causing them to quiet down, though they were no less angry. Lily made to set the book down and reach for her son again, but James waved her off and cradled his son close, crooning to him and apologizing for startling him. Hickory heard the disturbance and slunk down from the mantle and crawled up onto James lap, settling himself close to Harry's face again. Once the cat's tail was back in his view, baby Harry started to giggle and attempted to grab at it, settling him down once more.

Now that all the shouting was done, Remus turned on the adult Harry and demanded, "You grew up for ten years thinking that your parents died in a car crash?"

Harry shrugged, unable to fully answer him with his fuzzy memories, but unwilling to admit that he believed that was true. Sirius had a mad look on his face as he spat, "But Dumbledore left a note explaining what happened to them in your bedding clear as day. No way could they have missed it! How could they lie about such a thing?"

Lily's mind was frantic, trying to come up with some excuse for her sister. She was not in a forgiving mood after the treatment it implied her child had been getting, but finally settled on the most plausible thing she could think of. "Maybe she just said that until he gets his Hogwarts letter. She's trying to protect him from the horrible truth, just like Dumbledore wanted. He might have even told them to do it."

Sirius twisted around and spat in the fire to let out his agitation as James growled, "If he did then he'll be hearing from me! Lie to my son about something like this! You can't really believe that?" Lily deflated, no she didn't believe it, but she didn't want to think her sister would do something like this either. So she went on reading, ignoring the irritated glares in her direction.

**She would always follow up with 'don't ask questions.'**

Remus frowned in agitation. "How do you cover that one Lils? Don't ask questions; it's as if they're trying to pretend he doesn't even live there!"

Lily still had her head ducked towards the book, unwilling to admit that it seemed this way to her as well.

**As Vernon entered the kitchen for the first time, his first comment to Harry was to comb his hair.**

"As pleasant as his wife," Sirius growled.

**Dudley makes his arrival last, being described as very blonde and pink faced with lots of extra weight. His mother often called him a baby angel.**

James snorted, "Yeah, if baby angels look like blond piglets." His friends gave appreciative snorts of amusement for that.

**Harry said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

At that they all roared with laughter, "It's official , you are their son," Remus decided.

"When was it unofficial?" Harry asked, though he too seemed pleased by this.

 **Once Dudley sits down and counts out his presents, he complains that he has two** **less than** **the year before.**

Everyone in the room had astounded looks on their faces at that, "Why would he even remember such a thing?" Lily wondered.

Harry on the other hand was busy mulling over memories that he was pretty sure had come from his early childhood and decided that this was quite common, and had finally settled on the fact that he did indeed remember this day, and suddenly wanted to encourage his younger self to hurry up and finish his breakfast.

**Petunia tries to pacify Dudley, telling him he hadn't looked at the one his mummy had gotten him.**

"The way she talks to him!" Lily rolled her eyes. "I don't even talk to baby Harry like that, and he's less than a year old."

Sirius shrugged and said, "Maybe the lot of them have a mental disorder and they can't process things above a year six level?" James and Remus snickered at that.

**Dudley still looks in danger of throwing a fit even after his mother points out he miss counted one, and Harry begins to eat faster, knowing Dudley had a habit of throwing the table over.**

"How often did that happen?" Sirius asked curiously.

"About once a month since he was five," Harry said automatically, and then jolted in surprise at what he said. He didn't know how he remembered that, it just sort of came out.

The others were all looking on, his parents with disapproval, and the other two with glee. "You're getting your memories back!" Remus said with a grin.

"What a horrible child," Lily muttered.

"I can't believe you grew up with that boy," James grumbled.

**His mother fixes the problem by promising to buy him two more presents while they were out today.**

Everyone in the room looked appalled at that, "That is so not the way you deal with an impending tantrum!" Lily spluttered.

**Dudley struggled to add this up, his mother supplying the correct number of presents he will then have.**

"Did I say six years old?" Sirius asked with a straight face. "I meant two."

**Dudley finally seems appeased and sits down to begin opening the nearest parcel.**

"That's obviously the way they dealt with it in the past," Remus sighed.

"At least the father's not in on it," James said grimly. "He's been silent so far."

"Wait for it," Harry muttered.

**Vernon's reaction is to praise his son, saying he deserved this and more.**

"I stand corrected," James groaned, looking more upset about their behavior than the fact that he was wrong.

**Dudley opens several more presents of expensive taste, like a video camera and a VCR.**

Before the pure-blood could open his mouth, Lily and Remus quickly said, "Later."

**He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch**

"Huh," Sirius said in surprise, "that's usually what we give wizards when they come of age." His eyes quickly flashed to the watch on the grown Harry's wrist, and then flickered to the one on James. They were not the same one, as they should have been.

"Who gave you that one then?" Remus asked as he gestured at the slightly dented watch.

Harry glanced down at his wrist, almost as if he'd forgotten he had it on, and then frowned in agitation. All he could remember was a sense of warmth, and perhaps a warm hug, whenever he tried to remember. When he told the others, they all looked slightly happy at that, but James was still frowning. Harry should have gotten his watch, been hugged by Lily when he received it.

 **When** **Petunia came back from the phone looking angry, saying that someone named Mrs. Figg couldn't 'take him'.**

"What does she mean, 'take him?'" Lily asked in surprise. "Surely wherever they're going they planned on taking my son."

"Come off it," Sirius scoffed. "You really believe that from what we've seen so far?" Lily pursed her lips before going on.

**The narrative explains that every year for Dudley's birthday, while the Dursleys are out, Harry is left with the neighbor Mrs. Figg.**

"You've got to be kidding me," James snarled with clenched fists, but quickly relaxed when the baby in his arms squirmed. Sirius twisted around and spat in the fireplace again, while the others vented their frustration by cursing themselves. Harry merely watched, almost amused by their reactions. He had no problem with this, why would he want to be around these people more often anyway? They didn't seem to be very good company, unlike the people he was with now.

**Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"Argh!" Sirius groaned. "I feel so sorry for you Harry."

"Why?" Harry asked curiously, it didn't sound very pleasant but Sirius' reaction seemed a little extreme.

"Cabbage, that's the worst thing I could think of, pure torture that is," Sirius grumbled.

**Petunia gives Harry a nasty look, as if he'd planned this.**

"I bet," James snorted. "I can just imagine my son plotting how to break an old lady's leg."

"Really?" Harry asked with a frown.

"No sweetie," Lily said smiling. "He was joking."

Remus smiled and said, "One thing you should learn quickly about those two," he jerked his head in his friend's direction. "Don't take much of what they say seriously." Remus winced in horror at once as he realized his slip a moment too late.

"I take everything Siriusly," Sirius said at once, while the others just groaned and Harry laughed.

**Harry knew he should have felt sorry, but since he hated his time there looking at pictures of old cats it didn't come easy.**

"Hum," Remus said thoughtfully. "Isn't there a Figg in the Order? She's not quite as old as Harry leads us to believe, plus she's a squib. I know she breeds kneazles then names them ridiculous things to throw off what they are."

"Could be," James agreed. "After all, Harry is 'The Boy Who Lived'. Dumbledore probably wants an Order member close to him."

"If so," Lily said in a cold voice. "Why wouldn't she have told him about the treatment Harry receives? Even if he never told anyone, it seems apparent just by the description of him."

"Right," Remus deflated. "Forget I mentioned anything."

**Vernon suggests calling someone named Marge.**

"Who's Marge?" Sirius asked with a frown, clearly knowing he wasn't going to like the answer.

"The name rings a bell, I can tell you now she's not someone we'd like to meet," Harry answered, also frowning.

All the adults exchanged looks, knowing that if Harry was acting like this without the memories to reinforce such feelings, they were going to hate this woman.

**No one seemed to take into account Harry was sitting right there, they often spoke about him as if he wasn't there, or like he couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

"I'd go with the first option," James sneered. "If only because it makes me feel better than calling my son a slug."

"That is horrible," Remus snarled. "How could you treat anyone like that?"

"Prejudices," Sirius said quietly, his mind flashing back to when he had suggested bringing Remus round to his place once. He regretted that thought at once.

**Vernon suggests Petunia could call someone named Yvonne.**

Lily looked up in surprise. "I can't believe Petunia's still friends with her. They were always going on about traveling together, but Yvonne left a few years ago without Petunia. Tuney swore she wasn't ever going to talk to her again for that."

James shrugged and said, "I suppose she changed her mind."

"Well she can't have many friends, probably made up with her to at least claim she still had one," Sirius snorted derisively.

A few hours ago Lily would have told Sirius off for talking about her sister like that, but then her mind swiveled back to the cupboard, and she held her tongue.

**Harry offers that they could just leave him home alone.**

"They might do that if they don't think like Harry," Remus said, grinning. "I believe the phrase that runs through their minds is 'see or not to be seen'. If we're still going with the assumption that they are trying to ignore his existence, Harry might just get away with that."

"Let's hope they don't think like Harry," Sirius muttered.

**Petunia looks horrified at the thought, snapping that they would come back to find the house in ruins.**

"What do they think he's going to do," James rolled his eyes. "Burn it down?"

**Harry tries to protest in saying he won't blow up the house, but no one listened.**

"This is awesome!" Sirius crowed. "Now we've got a nice round number of think-a likes!"

You could almost hear the crickets chirping in the background after that kind of declaration as Remus shook his head slowly and said, "Really Sirius? Really?"

**Petunia suggested taking him to the zoo, but leaving him in the car.**

"What the bloody hell?" Lily hissed. "My son is not a dog!"

"You know, technically, you're not even supposed to do that to dogs," Remus said wisely. "Even if you leave the windows open a little, the direct sunlight streaming into the car without any, or little, ventilation outwards can cause heat strokes in dogs. The bigger the dog, the more likely."

"Thank you for that educational lesson Professor," James rolled his eyes. "Now I feel bad for locking Padfoot in the sun room last week."

"You did that?" Sirius yelped. "You told me Peter did that!"

"I lied," he said simply, smirking a little.

Harry felt an instant of blood chilling hatred for something Sirius had just said, but the combination of his ingrained no questions habit and honestly not even sure how to address such a feeling made it quickly fade to the back of his mind before he even recognized it.

Lily sighed as she realized what her boys were trying to do, pissed though they were as well, they were helping her to try to take her mind off of it. It was in vain however, as she still had to keep reading.

 **Vernon protests the car was** **new;** **Harry wasn't going to be left in it alone.**

"Yeah, cause that's the most important part of that suggestion," Sirius rolled his eyes as he twisted around to spit in the fire.

**Dudley began to fake cry, knowing if he pretended to wail his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

Remus leaned forward and rubbed his temples in agitation, just imagining that noise was giving him a horrid headache. While the other three adults were shooting each other significant looks, knowing full well that all three would like to pop that kid a good one in the mouth when they were still kids. Harry was still frowning, straining to remember what happened.

**His mother refers to him in a ridiculous pet name, 'Dinky Duddydums'**

"And the year levels are still dropping," Sirius chuckled.

"You keep going with that and you're going to reverse them back into the womb," James reminded him.

Sirius just shrugged, clearly saying 'it works.'

**Dudley sobs that he doesn't want Harry to come, because he would ruin everything, then shoots Harry a nasty grin where his mother couldn't see.**

"Jerk-"

"Prat-"

"Oaf-"

"Pig-"

"Arse."

They all looked at each other, startled upon realizing they had all used different insults that still fit him perfectly.

**At that moment one of Dudley's friends comes over, and he's briefly described as having the face of a rat.**

"It almost makes you feel for all these ugly people," Harry sighed dramatically, causing the rest of the room to chuckle.

**He seems to have the same personality as Dudley, as Harry notes he's the one who usually pins the kids arms back while Dudley punches them.**

"Charming boy that one is," Sirius sneered as he tried not to picture whose arms he would have been holding.

**Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

"'Course he did," Remus snarled. "Can't look weak in front of your awful friends."

"You can show any emotion around real friends," Lily agreed quietly, coming to the sudden realization that it had not mentioned one single friend of Harry's.

**Harry gets to go to the zoo with the Dursleys, mostly because they couldn't think of anything else to do with him.**

"I don't think a zoo trip's worth that," James wrinkled his nose.

"Yeah, was there even space?" Sirius pondered, picturing half the back seat taken up by that pig.

**Before they could leave though, Vernon pulls Harry aside and threatens him that if any funny business happens, he'd lock Harry up in his cupboard until Christmas.**

"They- they wouldn't do that, would they?" Lily gasped, horror etched into her face.

"I doubt that," Sirius muttered with a horrible look on his face. "Unless they don't value their lives at all." Harry pursed his lips and did not comment.

**Harry promised nothing would happen, but no one ever believed him when he said that.**

"That's not right," Remus muttered sadly. "No child should have to grow up with no one listening to them."

"I didn't totally grow up that way," Harry muttered to himself, trying to recollect this vague sense of friendship he had. He was hoping that, like with this birthday, more memories would come back to him if he had more Déjà vu. So far, nothing, he could just remember his childhood, which wasn't that pleasant to remember anyway.

**The narrative begins listing some of the odd things that happen around Harry, starting with the time Petunia cut off most of his hair but left the bangs to hide his scar.**

"That's not right!" James hissed in outrage. "Unless you consented to that, and I doubt you did, they shouldn't have done it. I don't care how old you are!"

Harry decided not to mention that his Aunt had threatened him with a week in his cupboard if he so much as flinched to try and stop her, since there was nothing he could do about it now and it would probably just upset his dad further.

**Harry spent the night worrying how stupid he would look, but his hair seemed to magically grow back overnight.**

"Good," James sighed in relief, running his hand through his hair.

"Your hair is way too important to you," Remus joked.

"Why shouldn't it be? It's what got me this beautiful family," James agreed.

"I did not fall in love with you because of your hair," Lily snapped. "That's what kept me away from you for all those years!" Before they could get into a familiar round,  Remus cleared his throat, to Harry's disappointment as for some reason watching bickering felt very familiar to him, and Lily read on.

**He was locked in his cupboard for a week for this happening.**

"That- that- that-!" Lily stuttered, unable to come up with a proper insult for her sister. No, no Petunia Dursley was no longer her sister, she didn't deserve the title. No Tuney she had ever known would do this to her son.

The males were clearly just as upset but after a look at Harry, who was staring apprehensively around the room as if thinking they were all going to start yelling at him. Then let out the breathe he was holding when they merely scowled and started muttering all the things they'd like to do to those relatives of his.

 **Another time Petunia tried to force a sweater onto** **Harry and the more Harry struggled against it the more it shrank** **. By the end it could have fit a mouse, but not Harry. Petunia decided it must have shrunk in the wash, and Harry wasn't punished.**

"You never should have been," They all snapped at once, startling baby Harry in James arms.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.**

"How much is terrible trouble?" James growled, rounding on his son.

Harry just shrugged and tried to put an innocent look on his face, but Remus intervened. "Don't lie Harry, that face isn't going to fool us. You remember, now tell."

With a huge sigh Harry admitted, "A week in the cupboard, and a week of chores." While the adults started muttering in disgust, Harry mentally added 'and a day without meals.'

**Dudley's gang had been chasing him when, to Harry's surprise, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

"Nice, you apparated!" James grinned.

"I don't think so," Lily shrugged. "He probably would have described that odd feeling, he could have just flown."

"Either way," Sirius whistled low in his throat. "Damn."

**When the Dursleys got a letter from the school telling them this, Harry was once again locked in his cupboard.**

Their thoughts were once again ripped off of the child's magic in favor of that horrid home life.

**Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.**

"How skinny were you, for you to believe that?" Sirius asked

Harry chuckled slightly and said, "I also thought the over large clothes would act as a parasol, help catch the wind."

Far from finding this amusing, it merely aggravated them that his clothes didn't fit properly.

**Harry was determined that nothing would go wrong today. Stating it was worth being crammed in the backseat with Dudley just to be going somewhere new.**

"Yeah, I suppose," James amended his earlier statement. "When you put it like that."

**While he drove, Vernon spent the ride complaining. He seemed to enjoy complaining about things, including people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry.**

"Moony, I bet you can't guess his top three favorite things to complain about!" Sirius said, choosing to make a joke out of it rather than curse some more.

Remus decided to play along as he pretended to mull it over and said, "Um, people at work, the bank, and the council."

"Err!" Sirius made a sound like a buzzer. "It's Harry, then Harry, then Harry!" Harry burst out laughing at their antics, so the bantering served its purpose.

**This morning, it was motorcycles.**

"What's wrong with motorcycles?" James asked as he rolled his eyes.

"Jamesie, let me put it to you this way; if it's cool, he doesn't like it," Sirius said with a straight face and a serious tone.

**Harry mentioned that he'd had a dream about a flying motorcycle.**

"Why on Earth would you do that?" Lily moaned, hoping this wouldn't ruin her son's, rare, good day. If they had learned anything about those Dursleys, it was that Harry shouldn't be drawing attention to himself.

"Sorry," Harry muttered. "It was the euphoria of being out, besides it's not like they ever listened to what I said anyway. Mostly they just ignored me if I did say something. Didn't expect them to actually hear me." Nobody appreciated this bit of honesty.

**Vernon nearly crashed into another car.**

"Pity he didn't," Sirius sighed.

"Sirius!" Lily snapped. "My son's in that car."

James shrugged and said, "Yeah Lils, but he's a wizard, it wouldn't even scratch him. Plus, I like the irony," and a dark look overtook him as he remembered that horrible lie.

"Yes, but if he did crash, he'd blame it on Harry," Remus pointed out, which put a stop to any kind of thinking like that.

**He began yelling at Harry that motorcycles can't fly!**

"Shows what you know," Sirius sneered.

 **Harry regretted saying anything, since he got told off even more when he mentioned things that weren't remotely the way they** **should** **be, even if they were just from the television. He thought the Dursleys would think it gave him dangerous ideas.**

"I don't think it's you, so much as you might mention them to your cousin," Remus said slowly.

"What's a television?" James asked instead of snapping that wasn't helping like he wanted to.

"Eh, it's kind of like if the pictures that we talked to had backgrounds that moved as well, inside a box. Runs on the Muggles form of energy called electricity, that's how they were watching the news on the first chapter," Sirius happily explained. He knew James had a good reason for not having registered that the first time, but he would have thought back on that eventually so he just added it on now. James nodded in understanding, not pressing for more details like he wanted to.

**When they got to the zoo, there's an ice cream stand at the entrance. Harry gets a cheap lemon pop before the Dursleys can shoo him away.**

All of the adults shifted in agitation, thinking 'at least he got some thing.'

**While wandering around Harry spots a gorilla that looks a lot like his cousin, except it wasn't blond.**

"That's right Prongslet," James patted adult Harry on the top of his head. "Think positive." Harry laughed at the way his dad was doing that, but then determined that he would have to ask about those nicknames they kept using when the chapter was over.

**By lunch Harry starts hanging back from the rest, in case Dudley started getting bored and picked up on his favorite hobby of hitting Harry.**

Lily shot a disgusted look at the Marauders, clearly remembering their favorite hobby on the occasions they got bored in the school corridors, but she was in too much of a temper to really go at that now. Besides they had, in the past few years, made it clear to her that they did at least slightly regret doing those things.

**During lunch Harry gets to finish Dudley's desert because he didn't want it.**

Harry frowned, but chose not to bring up the fact that the book left a little something out. The only reason he had been allowed to finish it was because it was half melted in the sun and Piers had refused to eat it because it had looked disgusting . Uncle Vernon had shoved it roughly to the side and Harry just took it and no one stopped him. The adults in the room looked so pleased that Harry had gotten something like that; he just couldn't bring himself to mention his memory.

 **Harry** **felt that** **he should have known it was all too good to last.**

"Dun, dun, dun…" Sirius said in a low tone voice.

"Sirius." Lily scolded .

"Sorry Lils." Sirius said trying to hide a chuckle only to get a glare from Lily.

 **While in the reptile house, they** **found** **a huge snake that could have wrapped around Vernon's car and easily crushed it.**

"A lovely thought, that one," all three boys sighed, clearly daydreaming this very thing.

 **But it was** **sleeping as Dudley** **pressed his nose against the glass.**

"Poor snake," Sirius shuddered, "having to get a close up of that."

"I don't believe it!" James pretended to faint. "Who are you and what have you done with Sirius? He would never say poor snake! Horrible snake maybe, disgusting snake probably, but never poor!"

Sirius just shrugged and said, "I have nothing against the animals, 's'not their fault, so don't take things out of context mate." James pouted slightly because Sirius hadn't played along but let it go for now.

**Dudley orders his father to make the snake move, so Vernon raps his knuckles smartly against the window.**

"I didn't know he could do anything smartly," Remus gasped, making Harry chuckle.

"It's an expression Remus," Lily rolled her eyes while Remus frowned at her.

"I know that Lily." Remus grumbled.

**Dudley gets bored and begins to wander away, so Harry takes a closer look, starting to feel pity for the creature that had nothing to do but have people bother it all day.**

"Sounds like fun to me," Sirius drawled. "Parties every night and people to freak out, what more could you want?" This time the others just ignored him.

**Harry compared his life to the snakes, thinking at least he got to stretch his legs.**

"Your life's got to be really bad if you're sympathizing with a zoo animal," Remus muttered, mostly to himself.

**The snake took notice of Harry's attention and woke up, then met Harry's eye level and blinked.**

"Snakes can't blink," Lily frowned. "They don't have eyelids."

"Maybe it's a trick of the light," Harry agreed, trying to think back to what was about to happen.

**The snake seemed abnormally intelligent, giving a very obvious look to where Vernon and Dudley were and then looking to the ceiling in a gesture that clearly said 'I get that all the time.**

All four of them frowned, finding this action rather odd of a common animal, perhaps the snake did tricks?

**Harry whispered back how annoying that must be, and the snake nods.**

"It-" James started, and then stopped, seeming unable to keep going. Sirius and Lily also had astounded looks on their faces. Harry frowned and edged away from them, having a faint memory of lots of eyes boring into him with hate, fear, and dislike.

Remus caught sight of this first, and quickly said, "It's alright Harry, we're not mad at you. Just confused. Parseltongue goes down through bloodlines, and James isn't one. We just don't understand why you're one."

"Oh." he muttered, relaxing again at that, but then frowned as the word tickled something in his mind. "What's a parseltongue?"

"It means you can talk to snakes. You speak parseltongue, so you're a parselmouth," Sirius said slowly, still trying to get over the shock.

Lily and James exchanged a look, and decided that they wouldn't tell him they were so freaked out because the only snake talking people were those of very dark and evil magic, but this was their son. No, they wouldn't give him any more to worry about, so Lily just read on. Taking the hint, neither Remus nor Sirius intended to go into any further details either.

**Harry begins a full conversation with the snake now, asking it if it had a life before he came to the zoo.**

"I rather like this snake," James laughed, trying to shake off the last of his confusion. "It's right friendly."

"You were taking this rather calmly," Lily voiced, "had this happened to you before?"

"No," Harry shrugged, "but after all of the weird things that had happened to me, I just kind of went with this." Privately adding it was nice to talk to anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention to him like this reptile was doing. He had often spoken to the spiders in his cupboard sometimes in this same way, though they'd never responded back of course.

**The snake was shaking its head no in answer when Dudley's friend catches sight of what Harry's doing and calls Dudley back over. Dudley came hurrying over as fast as he could.**

"I doubt it could have been that fast," Sirius snickered.

**On his way, Dudley punches Harry in the ribs.**

All three males clenched their fists at that, wishing they were ten years old again so they could punch that git in the face and not get into as much trouble for it.

**Harry falls back in shock, so he misses what happens in between Dudley looking into the glass and Dudley leaping back in fear.**

"What happened?" the boys asked in excitement, hoping their little Marauder Jr. would come up with something more creative than punching him back later.

 **The glass had** **disappeared giving the snake the chance to slither away but stopped** **to thank Harry. The keeper of the reptile house** **was** **in shock, repeating over and over again where the glass could have gone?**

"Wherever it wanted to," James rolled his eyes.

"That was a pointless interruption James," Lily snapped, starting to get to the end of her rope.

"Quite the clean-up job for Ministry though," Remus chuckled.

**On the ride home Dudley and his friend began exaggerating the story, though the snake had only nipped playfully at them as he escaped.**

"Knew I liked that snake," Sirius laughed.

**According to Dudley though, the snake nearly bit his leg off, and Dudley's friend was going into all sorts of details how he was nearly strangled.**

"If only, if only, if only," James hummed under his breath.

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say that Harry had been talking to the snake.**

"No!" all the adults gasped, now Harry was going to get in trouble again! They were all shaking, just a bit. What kind of punishment would he really get for putting his cousin in danger?

**Vernon waited until Piers was out of the house before starting on Harry.**

"Why?" they all hissed at once, trying not to picture those reasons.

**He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to stutter out for Harry to go to his cupboard, with no meals. Petunia scuttled away to get Vernon some alcohol.**

"No meals?" Lily murmured, looking faint.

James quickly placed baby Harry in her arms, which seemed to steady her, but then he lunged to his feet and started swearing at the top of his lungs. In a fit of pure rage Sirius summoned up a pillow off the sofa and stuffed it in his mouth to keep himself from doing the same while his hands clenched and unclenched as if wishing to wring somebody's neck.

Remus jumped to his feet and spat in the fire, and Sirius noticed that there was a bit of blood in there. He must have bitten his tongue with the effort of not copying James' actions. "I can't believe this" Remus growled, pacing back and forth in front of the couch, looking very much like a mother wolf protecting her cubs. "I really can't believe any of them. Even Peter or Sirius alone would be better guardians than them!"

Sirius would have made a comment about that any other day, but now he felt that Remus had never spoken truer words. Harry went around to all of them and did his best to reassure them, until they were all at least quiet enough or still whispering mutinously but low enough to hear, that Lily went on. Lily gently deposited baby Harry back into James' arms so she could finish the chapter.

**Harry lay awake in his cupboard hours later, knowing he couldn't sneak out for food until he was sure everyone else was asleep.**

Lily clenched her jaw so tight her vision started to blur to keep the tears away; you shouldn't have to sneak around your own home! Even if that was the farthest thing from home any one could picture.

The boys were all looking murderous that Harry would have to put such useful skills as sneaking about to something like that, but managed to hold their tongues.

**Harry reflected how he'd lived with the Dursleys all his life, all ten years of it miserable, and how he wished his parents hadn't died in that car crash.**

Sirius twisted and spat in the fire for that horrid reminder, and noted absently how badly it was starting to sputter out. He quickly pulled out his wand and helped the flames back up to a healthier level while the others looked at him enviously, wishing they could do something similar to vent.

**He couldn't remember being in the car when it happened, just a blinding green light.**

Now they were all shifting their weight around, trying not to picture what had been done to their Harry.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green light came from.**

"We ran a green light," Lily muttered snidely.

**He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and he was forbidden to ask. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

Everyone deflated like tires with punctures in them. "You, didn't even know what we looked like?" James asked sadly.

"I do know," Harry reminded him, "now. Besides, like you guys pointed out at the beginning of the chapter, you can fix this. We can read all this, and hopefully I'll remember enough so that we can prevent this from happening. I can grow up with you guys."

"Nothing would ever please us more," Lily whispered.

**Harry reflected back on when he was younger, when he'd dreamed of someone taking him away from this place.**

Both Remus and Sirius winced at that, convinced they must have died, as well as Peter, to leave Harry like that.

**The Dursleys were his only family.**

"That's not family," Lily hissed in outrage, but did not need to elaborate, they all knew what she meant.

**There had been a few odd moments where random people on the street seemed to acknowledge Harry, but they all vanished before Harry could ask.**

"Huh," Remus muttered. "Those are probably surviving members of the Order. I can't believe Dumbledore would just leave you there with no one watching you."

"Look what good it's done," James muttered in disgust.

**This must just be fantasies though, because Harry had no one.**

"That was horrible," Lily murmured, flipping to the next chapter. "I don't think I can stand another chapter about your younger years."

James reached over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder before saying softly, "It's okay Lily flower, I'd like to think his Hogwarts letter will be coming soon, very soon, and then they'll have to treat him decently. They'll know he's a wizard, and wouldn't do a thing to him."

Lily sighed, unconvinced, but passed the book to James none the less as she took her son back.

* * *

Hope this chapter was okay. It's one of my favorites, if only cause I love the peoples reactions to this and the next one. I always mark how good a story this is, or could be, by this and the next chapter. So I'm hoping sincerely that you guys are pleased with this one.


	4. THE LETTERS FROM NO ONE

James quickly began reading, dying to know about his son realizing his true heritage.

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment.**

Then he froze after only one sentence, feeling bile rising thick and fast in his throat.

"Longest ever punishment?" Sirius hissed,"and how long would that be?"

All eyes swiveled to the adult Harry, who remained quiet and was hoping this would quickly pass. Then his mum surprised him by placing her hand gently on his shoulder and whispering, "It's alright dear, no one is blaming you. We just want to know."

Once again relaxing at her touch, he finally admitted, "A month, give or take a bit."

Lily pursed her lips, determined not to start screaming again after she had just reassured her son.

Remus managed to ask through clenched teeth, "When it said, locked up, what exactly did that entail?" At first he had thought of it like grounding a child, in a more medieval fashion but still. The no meals thing had pushed him to question this further.

Harry didn't really want to answer, as his Aunt and Uncle had always threatened far worse punishment if he ever told the school about his sleeping arrangements, but his Aunt and Uncle weren't here. These people had shown nothing but loving kindness to him, who was by all accounts a stranger. They deserved the truth. "I was let out once a day to use the loo; otherwise I was literally locked up." He said quietly.

"Did they ever hit you?" James snapped almost before Harry had finished, after all if they could imprison a child, what else had they done? He didn't like the way his boy kept edging around this.

"Never left a bruise," Harry answered honestly, "knocked me around a bit, spanked me sure, but they never left a bruise." Harry felt like he was reassuring them while carefully wording his answer.

Lily dearly wanted to ask what the school must have thought, but she didn't think she could stand listening to whatever lie they would have told to keep Harry in there. Still none of the four were happy, James decided they had pressed enough for now. Harry was looking more and more likely to bolt from the room if they kept up this line of questioning.

**By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard, the summer holidays had started and Dudley had broken the majority of his birthday presents and run over the neighbor.**

"Why do we have to keep hearing about this?" Sirius sighed. "I really don't want to keep hearing about that stupid little boy."

**Harry was glad school was o** **ver** **because that meant he had a chance to wander around the neighborhood and avoid Dudley's gang, whose favorite game was Harry Hunting.**

"Do I even need to ask?" Remus frowned.

Harry shook his head and said, "Nah, they liked to chase me down, but they couldn't often catch me. I've always been pretty fast."

Lily sniffed and glanced about the room, finding irony in the fact that these boys were upset that Harry had been bullied, yet didn't even seem to realize they themselves were bullies. Now seeing the damage it could do to the victim, maybe the next time she brought it up they might actually understand.

**Harry** **thought** **to himself** **that he was** **almost looking forward to next year, when he'll be going to the local public school, while Dudley would be going to a private school.**

"While that would have been nice," James smiled, "being away from your horrid cousin and all, I am quite pleased that you will be going to Hogwarts instead."

"How do you know?" Harry couldn't help but ask. After all, would a wizarding school take someone who didn't even know they were a wizard?

"Did you not pay attention to all that accidental magic before?" Sirius demanded. "Of course we know you're going."

Harry instantly felt reassured and motioned for his father to go on.

**Dudley thought this was funny.**

"Why would going to public school be funny?" Lily asked, genuinely confused.

Remus shook his head in pained remembrance as he told her, "Because some people were raised to believe that anything lesser than them was meant to be laughed at."

**He told Harry that the school initiation was to stuff people's heads down toilets, and offered to do it to Harry now.**

All three boys tensed up at this, not wanting to start in on another round of bullying already.

**Harry's response is to tell him no, because the toilets never had anything as bad as Dudley's head down it, the toilet might get sick, then Harry ran.**

While everyone laughed at the boy's wit Harry beamed with pride at remembering how long it had taken Dudley to figure it out and come after him. He hadn't even been punished for it.

**One day during the holiday Petunia took Dudley to get his school uniform and left Harry at Mrs. Figg's.**

"Ouch," Sirius winced. "Looks like you didn't get out of seeing her after all. Cabbages, bletch!"

**She wasn't as bad as Harry remembered her anymore; she had recently tripped over one of her cats and didn't seem as fond of them.**

"Oh," Sirius cried, perking up at once. "Well then for once the little pup ought to have a good time."

**She let Harry watch television and gave him some chocolate cake.**

The rest of the adults hadn't looked ready to believe Sirius until they read it for themselves, now they were all smiling and hoping for some inexplicable reason that Harry would spend the rest of his time there until school started. Sadly this idea was ruined the moment James continued reading.

**When the Dursley's got back, Dudley spent the night in his new uniform, which was maroon in color with orange knickerbockers and straw hats.**

Remus made exaggerated gagging noises with his throat while Lily grumbled under her breath, "Remind me to never complain about the school uniforms again."

**They also carried knobby sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking.**

James spluttered in disbelief but Lily sighed and stated, "Don't even start James. You know very well you cursed anyone you could get your wand on without being caught. It's the same basic principle."

James looked slightly hurt but had no way to really deny this so let it go and moved on.

**While Petunia crooned about her little Dudders, Harry was trying his hardest not to laugh at the whole spectacle.**

"Glad to know he looked as ridiculous as we thought," James chuckled. Sirius was fighting the impulse to comment on the baby name that had been used.

**The next morning, when Harry** **entered the kitchen, he saw** **his aunt bent over a tub that was full of what looked like dirty rags in grey water.**

"What's that?" Remus asked. Without looking up James kept reading.

**When Harry asked what it was, his aunt at first clenched up, always hateful whenever Harry dared to ask a question.**

Lily huffed and grumbled under her breath, but again James didn't bother pausing.

**She did decide to answer him though, by telling him it was his school uniform.**

"What!" Everyone in the room yelped.

"Why are you so surprised?" Harry asked, genuinely confused. "The book already told you that they gave me Dudley's old clothes."

"It's just-" James started, then looked to the others who were all just as appalled that Harry wasn't more upset by this, "Just last night your cousin paraded around in a brand new uniform and now you're watching your Aunt tell you that they can't be bothered to get you clothes."

Harry merely shrugged, that's how it had always been, why would he be concerned with it now? It had already happened to him several years ago, and he was wearing clothes that fit him just fine now. The four exchanged looks and determined that they would have to have a serious talk with him about this later.

**Harry's first response is to tell her he hadn't realized the uniform was supposed to be wet.**

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Brilliant, glad to see you don't take it all lying down."

**Petunia snaps back that he was being stupid, that she was just dyeing some of Dudley's old clothes** **so they would look like someone** **else's.**

"I can't decide if she's delusional enough to believe that, or just trying to stop Harry from saying anything else," Remus grumbled.

"The first one," James and Lily said at the same time.

**Harry had every reason to doubt this, thinking that by the time she was done he'd probably look more like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin.**

"Lovely visual description," Sirius smiled.

**When the other two Dursleys came in, their noses were wrinkled up from the smell.**

"That could only improve their appearances I'm sure," James muttered.

**Vernon went to look at his newspaper while Dudley put his Smelting stick on the table, which he carried everywhere.**

"Do I even want to know why he carries that around with him everywhere?" Lily sighed. No one answered her, they all knew the answer.

**The mail arrived and Vernon tells Dudley to go get the mail.**

Sirius pretended to faint in shock while the others did look genuinely surprised at this, until Remus spoke up, "More of that pretending he doesn't exist thing, I'm sure."

"Really Remus," James sighed. "Can't you turn your brain off for five minutes and just be happy about something?"

"Not in my nature really," he said with a benign smile.

**Dudley demands Harry should** **get it and** **Vernon indeed tells Harry to get it. Harry retaliates by saying Dudley should** **get it** **and Vernon tells Dudley to poke Harry with his Smelting Stick.**

"Are you kidding me?" Lily yelped, snatching the book away from James to read that one for herself.

James let it go out of his slack grip, "You mean he actually encourages him to beat on you?" he asked his son.

Harry simply shrugged, but chose not to answer that. So what if Uncle Vernon had, even if Dudley did it without his father's permission, he still wouldn't have gotten in trouble for it.

Gingerly taking the book back from his wife, James vowed to move that talk up to after this chapter was over, maybe even sooner if this didn't stop soon.

**Harry gives in and goes to get the mail, and finds a letter written for him. It is addressed so accurately, even** **labeling** **where he slept in the cupboard, there couldn't be a mistake. He feels instant confusion, since no one in his life had ever written to him.**

Remus and Sirius again winced at such a reminder that they were dead, and Lily and James felt their hearts break once again that something so common to a normal person would mean something so big to their child. How lonely a life and James still felt responsible for it all. He would have wanted to quit reading these books after the last chapter if not for one thing keeping him going. He hoped his son would find out what he had done to set Voldemort after his family, and right that wrong. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

He was so lost in thought that he hadn't realized how long the silence had drug on until Harry had nudged him gently in the side, a questioning look in his eyes. James threw him a quick smile before pressing on.

**Harry** **reflected back on the fact that he had no friends, family** **or anyone else who would write to him.**

Remus and Sirius had continued to sink lower into themselves at this, but Lily looked like she was thinking something over. Since no one spoke up this time though, James kept going without interruption.

**The envelope was a thick yellowish parchment and there was no stamp.**

"Hey it's his Hogwarts letter!" James brightened up at once. "Please, please, tell me he goes waving that in front of his Aunt and Uncle and we get to read about them tripping over themselves to explain." The malice in his voice was obvious, as was the eagerness coloring his tone as he continued. He didn't even care in that moment he didn't know what a stamp was, just having recognized the standard paper of a wizard's letter.

**In the kitchen Vernon yells at Harry to hurry up, sarcastically asking if he was checking for letter bombs, then laughing at his own joke.**

"I don't get it," Sirius said, "and I've heard some pretty lame, dumb jokes in my life."

Lily had a pained look on her face, "It's a reference to something in the muggle world that should not be made fun of. Just trust me on that one," she explained. Sirius shrugged and decided not to push it.

**When Harry got back to the kitchen, Dudley** **exclaimed** **that Harry's got something.**

"Why would he shout it like that?" James asked. "Is it really that odd for Harry to have something?"

"I suppose it's the way Harry reacted to it," Remus speculated.

**Harry was just unfolding the letter when it was taken from him by Vernon.**

All of the adults huffed in agitation at this, but remained silent, wanting to hear the explosion they knew was coming. Lily in particular felt a vindictive pleasure, as Vernon might not understand right away what it was, but Petunia sure would.

**Harry shouts back that it is his, but Vernon sneers back who would even be writing to you?**

Sirius grimaced in disgust, "I knew they bullied you, but did they always speak to you like that?" he demanded. Harry just shrugged, which was occurring far too often for their liking. Was he always so quiet because of the way he had been treated in his younger years?

**Vernon then glances down at the** **letter** **and his large face begins reflecting a rainbow of colors at his surprise.**

"Well, he certainly knows what it is," Remus said. "Though I wonder why? Do you think Petunia would have told him the name of the school you went to, in preparation for this moment?"

"I suppose so," Lily said absentmindedly, thinking more of the satisfaction that was about to come. They would have to explain to Harry about his parents now.

**When he shows it to Petunia** **her reaction is the same** **. Dudley demands to see it was well. His parents ignore him, and Dudley then pokes his own father in the head with his stick.**

"Really!" the other two marauders cried in shock.

"His violence extends to hitting his own parents?" Lily gasped; her disbelief evident on her face.

Sirius shook his head, "I would have thought he'd just whine some more."

**Dudley then shouts that he wants to read that letter.**

"What gives him the right?" James muttered.

**Harry shouts even louder that he wanted to read it, as it was his!**

"While he has every right," Lily sighed, "and he'll probably be the last one to get to."

**Vernon shouts at both of them to get out of the kitchen, stuffing the letter away.**

All four of the adults frowned at that, this was not the reaction they had been expecting at all. Could they really continue hiding this from Harry?

When Remus voiced this question aloud, Lily said slowly, "No, I should think not. I know for a fact that when a muggle-born receives a Hogwarts letter a representative wizard will show up that day to explain and answer the Muggle's questions. However this is an interesting phenomenon. Harry is a wizard by blood but raised by Muggles who know about the magical world, so it was up to the family to discuss his magic." She paused for a moment, stomaching the bile that rose in her throat as she remembered all of the lies her sister had piled up. "The school knows if the child's letter doesn't reach its intended person, and the letters will continue coming in until they do. What the extent of that is, I have no idea."

After a pregnant pause James finally asked, "How on earth do you know all of that?"

Lily snorted and finally came back to the present, having been lost in a few memories. "It's in Hogwarts a History, establishing how and why the students are selected and introduced into the school."

"Never bothered to read that one," Remus said with fond remembrance. "I preferred preparing for my classes rather than leisure reading. If I did want to read for fun it would always be fiction."

"Guys," Sirius whined when it became obvious this was going to become a full and lively discussion about reading of all things. "I am freely reading and listening to this book, but please don't make me sit here and listen to what you two did in your free time."

"You could do with a bit of extra reading Sirius," Lily snapped, rounding on him at once. "Maybe if you had cracked your school books open to use for more than a pillow-"

The following squabble was familiar enough that James and Remus began laughing, while Harry nudged his father again and asked, "Is this common around here?"

"What?" James asked, genuinely confused.

"They're arguing, but they don't seem to be mad about anything?" Harry asked, watching the two with keen interest, and a vague familiarity about two other people arguing a lot…

James felt a pang of sadness once again when he realized his little baby would never see these kinds of interaction for himself. "Yes Harry, those two often have lively debates with each other, but there's no real heat to them. They just enjoy provoking each other."

Harry nodded as he continued watching, but after a few more moments James cleared his throat loudly and waved the book in his hand around. "Do you suppose we could get back on topic?"

"You just completely ruined what I was saying James," Sirius grumbled, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall beside the fireplace, but did not stop James as he finally continued.

**Harry stands his ground, shouting at the top of his lungs that he wants his letter!**

"Now there's a temper we haven't seen," Sirius chuckled lightly.

**Vernon lost his temper, grabbed the back of both boys' shirts, and tossed them into the hall.**

"What!?" Lily, Remus, and Sirius all squawked, getting to their feet and looking as murderous as they had when they found out about the cupboard.

"I thought you said he never hurt you?" James growled, the book in his fist clenched so tightly it was in danger of ripping.

"I-er-he didn't," Harry said, looking at all of them genuinely confused, "it's not like it hurt," he explained gingerly.

"If he put his hands so easily on his own boy-" Lily began.

"You think I'm lying!" Harry interrupted, feelings of hurt and anger beginning to boil. "I would have told you if he'd done anything worse." His anger managed to keep the shot of shame out of his voice that even though he had told the truth...there was still technically a lie by omission. None of them seemed that happy, but they all backed down, and sat back in their seats.

Harry was still feeling a touch hurt, so James told him gently, "We believe you Harry, we're just beginning to wonder how loosely you use the wording 'knocked around'." Harry just sighed, and waved his father to go on, feeling this didn't need to be discussed further. James disagreed, but was still eager to continue on.

**Then he slammed the kitchen door closed. Harry and Dudley had a brief wrestling match of who would watch at the keyhole, which Dudley won, so Harry dropped to his stomach and watched through the crack at the bottom of the door.**

"Inventive," Remus beamed.

**In the kitchen, Petunia is fretting about** **how** **the letter knew where he slept.**

"Lily, if they knew where he slept, wouldn't you think there would be an inquiry?" Remus asked, attempting to force a friendly tone into his voice instead of the growl he felt.

Lily pursed her lips in thought before shaking her head and saying, "No, 'fraid not. No one looks at where the letters are addressed, simply if they're muggle-born or not." The others all huffed at that, and now dearly hoped this was a situation where someone magical would come, see this travesty, and have Harry removed that day.

**Petunia suggests writing them back, saying they don't want- Vernon cuts her off by saying they won't react at all, but simply ignore the letter's existence.**

"Could they though?" James asked, a feeling of fear beginning to twist in his gut. "Could they tell them that I mean. Could they really stop Harry from going to school?"

Lily nearly broke skin over her lip as she worried it before finally answered in a quavering voice, "I suppose, yes they could. After all Hogwarts is not compulsory or mandatory in any way. It is optional for the family to send their student there."

The boys' mouths fell open in shock and horror at what this could mean. Sirius and James getting paler by the second as they looked on at the books in worry. If Harry didn't go to school, he wouldn't be able to get out of that house, wouldn't be able to properly learn magic. Could they really deal with seven books full of these horrible Dursleys?

After a brief bout of shock however, Remus shook himself and said sternly, "No, if they choose to do that, then the ministry will still make an appearance, find out why they choose otherwise, and someone will still find out about the way they treat Harry."

Everyone just turned to Harry, as if expecting an answer, but he simply shrugged and reminded them, "Hey, I'm as clueless as you guys, remember?" Only slightly reassured by Remus, James decided the easiest way to get his answer was to keep reading, rather than let his mind continue such dreadful thoughts.

**Petunia tries to protest, but Vernon shouts he's not having one in the house, because they were dangerous!**

"Dangerous!" Lily exclaimed. "Honestly Petunia, what have you told him?"

"Nothing good," Sirius grumbled, picking restlessly at the carpet.

**That evening Vernon went to visit Harry in his cupboard.**

General snorts of crude amusement arose as James demanded. "He fit?"

"Just his head," Harry laughed slightly, happy that he remembered this detail as they continued.

**Harry asks for his letter at once, but Vernon tells Harry that the letter wasn't for him.**

"Does he really think he's that stupid?" Remus demanded.

"Bet his own son would have fallen for that," Sirius snickered.

**Vernon had burned it.**

"Harsh," James winced before going on.

**Harry snaps back that it wasn't a mistake, but Vernon yelled at him to be silent, and a spider fell from the ceiling onto his head.**

"Hope he enjoyed that," Lily said viciously.

**He took a few breaths and then tried to force his face into a smile, which looked painful.**

"Hope it was," someone muttered.

**Vernon tries to go on in a more pleasant tone and tells Harry he thinks he's getting a bit too big for the cupboard.**

"A bit big for it?" Lily said, looking faint. "When did you come to that conclusion? Before or after you realized it was illegal?" Harry put a reassuring hand on his mother's shoulder before asking his dad to go on, James conceded that there was nothing more to be said and continued.

**Then offered that Harry could move into Dudley's second bedroom.**

Harry winced and Hickory tore out of the room in a fright at this uproar. Yeah, maybe Harry should have mentioned that he remembered that bit. As before, he moved to each of them and tried his best to comfort them, but his attempts were getting weaker every time. There are only so many things he could have said before they all lost it and went out to commit homicide.

Finally, with a sense of regret he said, "Okay, promise me this, you won't go and leave this house because of anything in the books until after they're all done?" None of them were happy, but finally agreed they should learn all of the transgressions before the deserved murder. With a heavy heart James continued.

**Harry asks why.**

"Why are you questioning it?" Sirius demanded, fire still roaring through him.

"Oh I don't blame him for that," Remus snarled, "They've never done a single decent thing for him, why start now?" Sucking in air, as if slowly dying on the inside, James pressed on.

**Vernon snaps at Harry not to ask questions and do as he's told and go up there. The narrative returns, stating that the Dursley's house had four bedrooms.**

"Four!" was hissed mutinously around the room, but at the promise they had just made to their boy, no one did or said anything, though they were all thinking it.

**One for Vernon and Petunia, a guest room, one for Dudley, and one for Dudley's stuff that wouldn't fit in his own room.**

They hadn't thought it could get worse, and were growing quite tired of being proved wrong, at this Sirius even resorted to begging. "Come on Harry, a second room for his crap, while you slept with the shoes! That is bad enough for whatever punishment." Harry pursed his lips but shook his head, instinctively knowing he didn't want anyone in this house to leave it any time soon.

**It only took Harry one trip to get his stuff upstairs, and he** **spent** **a moment looking around at everything in his new space. A lot of junk mostly, like Dudley's broken birthday presents, some dusty old books that looked as if they'd never been touched, and a television Dudley had once put his foot through.**

"Hope it hurt," Remus huffed.

**Downstairs Dudley was having a fit, wailing that he didn't want Harry in there, that he needed that room.**

After their previous outburst none of them even had the energy to comment on Dudley's spoiled brat behavior this time.

**Harry simply sighed, wishing he** **was in his** **cupboard with that letter, then up here without it.**

That was the final straw for Lily, hearing that her own son would rather be in a cupboard with a piece of mail had finally pushed Lily Potter into tears. All four boys freaked out initially, most of them never having seen such a woman cry, but at her tears, her baby became distressed as well and began putting up quite a fuss.

Lily made herself busy by going about and comforting him, then she got up and excused herself into the kitchen to fetch him a bottle, leaving him with Remus. She took far longer than was normal, but when she came back she was much more composed. Remus gave the boy back to his mother and Lily then told her husband to continue on.

**The next day Dudley was in shock. He'd thrown a right fit, including being sick on purpose, and kicking his mother, but he still didn't have his second room back.**

Sirius let out a low throaty whistle, "and here I thought Regulus was spoiled. I can't imagine any child getting away with that."

"And I don't even need to ask if he was punished," Remus said with contempt.

**When the mail came again, Vernon seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry**

"A first I'm sure," James muttered darkly.

**This time he made Dudley go get the mail and after much protest he stormed down the hall, and when he got there he screams that Harry's got another letter.**

"Why would he shout that?" Sirius laughed, "After the reaction it got yesterday, you'd think he would have the sense to hide it and read it himself."

"Ah but you said the magic word Sirius," Remus reminded him, "sense, which he has none of."

Everybody laughed at this, and with a bit of a better mood, James read on.

**Vernon got to his feet at once, going out into the hallway to try and get the letter. Harry grabs hold of Vernon's neck.**

"Now that took guts," Sirius said with pride, "You'll be a Gryffindor for sure." Harry just blinked in confusion, having no idea what that could mean, but kept the question to himself. Lily frowned at him, feeling that brawling like that took more stupidity than guts.

**After a brief fight where all three of them got hit with the Smelting Stick, Vernon comes up victorious with the letter.**

"Rats!" James sighed, not surprised, just disappointed. He looked around expectantly again, and then frowned, still not used to his third friend not being present. He'd have to bring that up again if Peter wasn't back soon.

**Harry goes up to his new room, and comes up with an idea. If the person knew he hadn't received the first letter, then surely they were going to try again. Harry had a plan.**

"Oh this can't be good," Sirius sighed, placing his face in his hands.

"I'm going to have to agree with Sirius on this one," Remus chuckled. "Remember our first prank? We had a lot to learn about plan making."

"Oh yeah," James laughed boyishly, "still a riot though." Now feeling quite eager to hear this he continued.

**He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first.**

"Not a bad idea actually," Remus said with appreciation, "much more subtle than I would have given you credit for."

"Thanks, I think," Harry said, deciding to take that as a compliment.

**After repairing Dudley's old broken alarm clock,**

"How did you manage that?" Lily asked in surprise, thinking he'd hardly be let around tools, or even having the knowledge at that age.

"I just filched some batteries from a working one of Dudley's," Harry shrugged, "He'd been too lazy to do it and just told his parents it was broken."

**In the morning Harry crept down the stairs, but when he got to the bottom he stepped on something alive.**

"Do they own a pet that hasn't been mentioned?" Sirius asked, wincing at such bad luck.

**The thing he'd stepped on was Vernon's face.**

While Lily groaned at indeed, such bad luck as this, the other three laughed. Feeling quite pleased that Harry had this small victory.

**Vernon had been sleeping at the front door all night to make sure Harry didn't do exactly what he was planning.**

"Pity he's not stupid as well as an arse," James sighed.

**Harry** **shrunk** **off to the kitchen, and by the time he came back the mail had arrived again along with a few more letters for Harry. Vernon ripped them to shreds at once. He also stayed home from work that day and nailed the mail slot shut.**

"What good would that do?" Lily asked frowning, "And how would they get their other post?"

"Is that even how muggle post works?" James asked.

"Not at all," Remus shook his head at this absurdity.

**According to Vernon, if they couldn't deliver the letters, they'd just give up.**

Lily opened her mouth again but Sirius cut her off, "We know Lily, you just told us." She huffed and laid baby Harry's bottle down, beginning to put him on her shoulder and encouraging him to burp.

**Petunia tried to convince him that wouldn't work,**

"You know it won't," Lily huffed under her breath.

**But** **Vernon tells her** **'their'** **minds work differently than their own**

"Thank Merlin for that," James snapped at the book.

**while trying to knock a nail in place with a piece of fruit cake.**

"Is that how muggles use fruitcake?" Sirius asked with genuine confusion.

"No," Lily and Remus answered together. When neither elaborated, James continued.

**The narrative continues** **by saying that things continued to get out of hand because the mail** **started arriving randomly through every slot in the house. Vernon spent another day humming a strange tune and nailing up all the small cracks in the house while jumping at small noises.**

"I think this poor bloke lost whatever sense he once had," Remus laughed and Sirius quickly joined in while Lily and James smiled vindictively.

**The next day, they started finding the letters inside of eggs. Vernon began making furious calls to the post office and the dairy, trying to find someone to yell at.**

"Those poor people," Lily said sympathetically as baby Harry finally burped. "I'd just hang up on him."

**Petunia shredded the letters in the food processor.**

"Points for originality," Remus chuckled, still rather disgusted these two would go to such lengths to keep this from his cub.

**On Sunday Vernon finally seemed in a cheerful mood again, announcing there was no post on Sunday's while spreading marmalade on his newspaper.**

"Why don't muggles get post on Sundays?" James asked curiously.

"That's what you're caught on?" Sirius demanded while holding his sides laughing. "Wonder if he puts jam on his bills?" Remus gave James a quick answer on Muggle post, enough to satisfy James to move on.

**Even as he said it, a letter came whizzing out of the fireplace and bounced off the back of Vernon's head. Soon the kitchen was nearly flooded with** **them** **and the Dursley's ducked to avoid the swamp while Harry got to his feet and tried to grab one.**

"Love the excess," Sirius snickered while James turned to Harry and demanded, "Why didn't you just pick one up from the ground?"

"They were mostly being aimed at Uncle Vernon and landing at his feet," Harry answered, smiling slightly as he remembered something a bit funny next, "and I'd rather not be within arm's reach of him. I was trying to catch the ones that were ricocheting away."

**Vernon roared in outrage and seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall to get him out of the kitchen.**

Good mood gone in an instance, Harry quickly reminded them that it didn't hurt, and then practically pushed the book back into his father's face, wanting them to read about his funny memory.

**In pure frustration, Vernon began pulling violently at his moustache, and came away with great clumps of hair.**

Harry couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing, after a few moments the others joined in. "He was very vain about his moustache, and he looked quite deranged with half of it missing. Looking back, it just seems funny."

**Then he screams at them to go and pack, that they were going away.**

"Going away where?" James asked. "Did they have a second house?"

"Doesn't matter where," Lily snickered, "they still can't outrun them!"

**When the others were all packed, Vernon slapped Dudley upside the head for trying to pack away his VCR, along with a few more electronic devices.**

The four adults exchanged dark looks again at such a reminder that he was violent with his precious son, so it could possibly be worse with a boy he didn't even like.

**In no time at all they were in the car driving to who knew where.** **Occasionally he would spin around and drive in the opposite direction for a while, muttering 'shake 'em off...'**

"What exactly is he basing this on?" Remus asked, trying to work this out from his point of view.

"Don't do that Moony," James sighed without looking up.

"Do what?" he asked distantly.

"Try and think it through," Sirius told him with a straight face. "I don't want to see you going as bonkers as this fool." Remus sighed and decided to let it go for now.

**Dudley was miserable, he'd never gone so long without being able to play on his computer.**

"That is an inkling of what my boy's been through you prat," Lily huffed, not having any sympathy for this boy.

"What's a computer?" James couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Kind of like an interactive TV," Sirius offered, the idea fairly complicated for him to explain. James seemed satisfied enough, though still intrigued to see one of these in person.

**They stopped for the night to rest, but Harry stayed awake through the night looking out the window, wondering…**

"He's never going to figure it out," Sirius said primly.

"I didn't," Harry agreed. "Never in my wildest dreams would I have dreamed up something like this."

**Next morning, the manager came looking for them, saying that she had a hundred letters for a Harry Potter. Harry gets to his feet to claim them, but Vernon forcefully pushes him aside and claims them instead.**

"That would be an odd sight," James grimaced. "Wish she'd reported it."

"Not odd enough I'm afraid," Remus sighed.

**The narrative goes on to say some of the odd places Vernon stopped at over the rest of the day, including halfway across a suspension bridge, and at the top of a multi-level parking garage.**

"What was he looking for?" Sirius wondered at such seemingly random places.

"I have no idea," Harry answered honestly, "He never told us. As deserted a place as possible I suppose."

**During the late afternoon, Vernon exited the car and locked them all inside while he went somewhere.**

"How do you lock someone inside a car?" Lily snorted. "Dudley fine, but I suspect Harry knew you could simply get out."

"And go where?" Harry asked. "No, it was better I stayed." All of them looked rather heartbroken at this but James pressed on.

**Dudley sniffles that his father had gone mad, hadn't he?**

"Can't go where you're already at," Sirius snarled.

**Dudley makes the comment that it was now Monday, and he wanted to stay somewhere with a television. Harry has no interest in this, and instead reflects that this would make tomorrow his eleventh birthday.**

"Oh dear," Lily moaned, rocking her baby from side to side fitfully.

"Something wrong Lily flower?" James asked hesitantly at such a tone, not that he was looking forward to hearing about this either, after all if they treated his boy like this on normal days, why would it change on his birthday?

When Lily said something similar and James had no way of comforting her he instead turned to Harry and practically pleaded, "How did your birthdays go?"

Harry grimaced; not really wanting to admit that they basically ignored the occasion, or gave him such awful gifts he'd rather they'd ignored it. He felt lucky he even knew when his birthday was. When the silence dragged on, James simply sighed and decided he'd have to get his answers from the book.

**Harry** **reflected** **back on his past birthdays, the most memorable of which was the one where Vernon gave him an old pair of socks.**

"Jeez, I'd have rather Harry lied to us," Remus snapped, not realizing his feelings could actually sink lower until they had.

**Vernon was back and was beaming and carrying an odd shaped package, claiming to have found the perfect place.**

"This can't be good," Sirius sighed pushing his hair out of his face, just for it to fall back again when he shook his head in trepidation.

**They were now headed towards a large rock out in the middle of the sea. Perched on top was a miserable little shack.**

Lily couldn't help but wonder if Vernon was perhaps going off of the old, and untrue, legend that wizards couldn't go across water?

"Sounds like Azkaban," James frowned, hating to think of his son in there. None of the others had ever been there, but they all shook slightly at the mention. Harry frowned and chalked this up as a question he'd like to ask later.

**They climbed into a tiny little boat and began rowing out** **there, it** **was freezing. Icy spray ran all over them and the chilly wind wasn't helping.**

Lily pursed her lips at thinking of her Hare-Bear out in that, without any warming spells, possibly even without a jacket. She wouldn't put anything past Dursley's at this point.

**The shack was dismal at best, with only two rooms.**

"Why was that place even built?" Remus demanded. "The shrieking shack sounds better!"

"I suppose it might have been more hospitable at some point," Lily mused, trying to think of a possibility.

"I would just love the irony if that used to be a wizarding house," Sirius smiled grimly.

"What makes you say that?" James asked curiously.

"Perfect place isn't it?" He explained, "Middle of nowhere, perfectly accessible to wizards, ratty on the outside, but a wizard could fix that up in a jiffy on the inside. I was hoping an old wizard couple used to live there, no family so it was left to shambles. I just like the irony." After mulling that over for a moment they all burst into laughter, though they would never know the answer to this, but they had to agree with him that this would indeed be lovely irony.

**The only food Vernon provided was a bag of crisps and four bananas.**

Everyone in the room was disgusted that a snack could be referred to as rations. None of them even wanted to think how long Vernon intended to stay there.

**When he tried to light a fire and it didn't work, he cheerfully said that he wished he had some of those letters now.**

"Oh sure, just rub it in you-" James broke himself off and cursed under his breath a few moments before pressing on.

**He was clearly in a good mood; content in thinking no one could deliver mail out there. Harry agreed, but it didn't make him feel better.**

"Don't worry Harry; weather doesn't have much of an effect on us." Remus told him bracingly as he noticed how crestfallen Harry seemed to be getting. "It's been long enough that someone should have filed an inquiry by now as to why you haven't gotten your letters. I'm sure they'll be around soon."

He put special emphasis on this last word, for the rest of the rooms benefit.

**As the night** **wore on Vernon** **and Petunia went to the bed, and Dudley settled down on the couch, Harry was left with the thinnest blanket to curl up on the softest bit of floor he could find.**

"Very, very soon," Sirius hissed in disgust.

James entertained the notion for a moment of a wizard, wishfully him, storming through the door with a reasonable explanation of where he'd been, cursing all of those excuse for humans, and then taking his son far, far away from there. Lily and Remus had come to the conclusion that there wasn't much more they could do, due to Harry's promise, so after a pause they both told James to hurry up and get past this part.

**The storm was in full swing outside, and Harry lay awake with hunger and cold.**

When it looked like someone was about to pause this again, Harry simply spoke over them all that he was fine, and that he had a very good sense of Déjà vu over him. Something good was about to happen on this birthday. Feeling a mite more hopeful James hurried on.

**Harry laid** **awake watching Dudley's watch, counting down the time until it reached midnight on his birthday. At the five minute marker, he heard something creaking outside, and wondered if the roof was going to cave in. He decided he'd at least be warmer if it did.**

"I can't decide if that was supposed to be funny, sad, or suicidal?" Sirius asked.

"Go with the first one," Remus sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in agitation at such a description. Even he had never had it this bad and Remus had slept in some pretty bad places.

**At four minutes Harry was thinking about the house at Privet Drive, hoping when they got back it would be so full of letters he could take one without someone noticing.**

"I should hope so," James smiled happily at the thought.

**At the one minute marker, he was considering waking up Dudley, just to annoy him.**

"I wouldn't do it," Lily grumbled. "The less of his company the better." In truth, she was projecting a lot of her hatred from the younger Marauders onto this boy, though even she had to admit they never got this bad.

**When the clock struck midnight, there was a large BOOM.**

"Boom?" The others asked in concern as James puzzled for a moment.

"Did the house actually cave in?!" Sirius yelped, going slightly bug eyed, picturing his pup under all of that horrid rubble. He was sure to survive, but it wasn't a pleasant thought.

"James, keep going," Remus pleaded, feeling concern mounting, what a thing to happen on Harry's eleventh birthday!

Lily on the other hand was eyeing her adult son, and the pleased smile on his face. He didn't look remotely concerned, the opposite in fact. Now she simply wanted James to keep going out of morbid curiosity. After shaking himself for a moment James read the last line of the chapter.

**Someone was knocking to come in.**

Sirius and Remus relaxed a bit, though James still looked concerned. "Who knocks and makes a 'boom' noise?"

"Well, keep going and we'll find out," Lily snapped.

"The chapters over," James said.

"Guess it's my turn then," Sirius groaned, dragging himself to his feet, but eagerly taking the book.

"Never thought I'd see the day Padfoot would take up a book willingly!" James laughed.

"If it's about my little pup you bet your wand I will," he stated primly, turning the page.


	5. THE KEEPER OF THE KEYS

Sirius turned to his obligated chapter and was fixing to start when Harry spoke up, "Hey Sirius."

He startled slightly, this was the first time Harry had addressed him directly, he seemed rather weary of him and Remus. Plus his Harry shouldn't be able to talk for at least a few more months, so it was quite startling. Still he smiled with pleasure and looked around at him, "Yeah?"

"What's with the nicknames?"

Sirius blinked. Then blinked again. Then cursed slightly as he cast his eyes towards Mooney. At school, they had plenty of reasonable explanations for their nicknames. However they had always intended to tell there Harry why, the truth.

However, with Harry's memories being shot, and only slowly coming back, who knew what kind of impressions he had gotten. Had he already heard about werewolves and had a negative opinion of them like most wizarding kind? He didn't think he could stand seeing Harry freak out over one of his best friends, however Harry had addressed him. Yet it was Remus' right to divulge this back story. Torn, and silent for too long, Remus answered for him, having come to much the same conclusion as the others, "That's got a back story Harry, and we'll explain later."

Harry frowned, not much appreciating this, as they seemed to constantly interrogate him and demand his whole truth answer's, but at the pained look on the man's face, he decided to let it go for now.

Seeing Harry's nod, Sirius quickly pressed on.

**There was another knock so loud, it boomed. Dudley woke up and stupidly said 'where's the cannon' clearly still half asleep.**

"Harry my boy," James said, clapping his son on the shoulder, "there are some things that don't need to be stated."

Harry laughed quietly while the others smiled at such an interaction between the two.

**Vernon came out of his own room with a rifle in hand.**

Lily and Remus frowned in annoyance, forestalling the question they knew was coming Remus spoke up, "A rifle is a muggle weapon, like using the confringo curse through a metal pipe."

"I can't believe he was planning on using that on someone, simply for trying to give Harry back his heritage, his life," Lily grumbled, her anger at the Dursley's continuing to grow with everything they did or said. It also didn't help that she was positive Vernon had attained that illegally, as muggle laws made it nearly impossible for the common citizen to even own a firearm.

**Vernon yells out that whoever was knocking had better go away, because he was armed! With one more loud sound, the door came down with a smash, falling right off its hinges.**

There was an edge of unease as Sirius read that, then he looked up and asked, "we are sure that this is a friendly wizard just there to give Harry his letter right? Not that many wizards would use such force to get into a muggle house."

The other three exchanged uneasy looks, but Harry leaned back into the couch, completely at ease. He felt no impending danger, and told Sirius as much, so he went on.

**The narrative then describes a giant of a man with long black hair and black eyes.**

"Is that Hagrid?" James asked eagerly.

"Sounds right," Remus agreed, beaming as well.

"Hagrid," Harry said the name slowly and distinctly to himself. He had come across it in the first chapter and it had meant something to him, but now saying it aloud, he knew that name, but why? "I think I know him," he muttered, rubbing his temple in frustration.

"Keep reading Sirius," Lily instructed, switching baby Harry in her arms so that she was able to wrap one arm around her elder sons shoulders.

**The man comes striding into the place and apologizes for breaking down the door, then asks for a cup of tea while heading towards the sofa. When he spots Dudley there he tells him to scoot over, but Dudley runs for cover behind his mother and father.**

Lily couldn't help a slight smirk at this. Reflecting that the Dursleys would be terrified a stranger had come in like this, invited himself something to drink, and insulted their son all in one swoop. While this would normally be the height of rude, and could only make the Dursleys opinion of Hagrid equal to their feelings of Lily. Knowing what she did though, Lily was hoping this was only the beginning.

**Then the man turns to Harry and exclaims how excited he is to see him, since he hadn't seen him since he was a baby.**

"Well there's are proof that it's Hagrid," Sirius said happily, "cause Hagrid was the one who dropped you off at your Aunt and Uncles, as a baby."

"Like the giant description wasn't enough for you?" Remus laughed.

**He comments that Harry looks like his Dad, but he's got his mom's eyes. Vernon obviously does not appreciate this, and snaps that he needs to leave at once. The giant's only response is to tell Dursley to shut up.**

"Thank Merlin," James said to the ceiling, "I've been wanting someone to say that to him since this whole thing started."

**He reached behind himself, took away Vernon's gun, and then twisted it around as if it were putty before tossing it into the corner.**

"Would a gun have even hurt him?" Sirius asked, "With his tough skin and all?"

"I'm not sure," Remus said slowly, "we know his giant skin prevents most spells, but I'm not sure if he's ever tested it against muggle weapons."

"Hang on," Lily said, looking to all the boys in the room, "giant skin? What makes you say Hagrid's a giant?"

"Oh come off it Lil," James said, "smart as you are, you never figured out why Hagrid's as big as he is?"

Lily frowned at them all and stated, "I always thought he had an overdose of Rano Potion, the effects of which can't be magically fixed, at least as of today's standards."

Sirius snorted in disbelief, "Leave it to you to think a potion would do that to someone."

"Well what made you four think," Lily began hotly, but Harry cut her off and said;

"No, they're right."

All four turned to him wide eyed, and he quickly raised his hands up and said, "I don't know how or why, but I think they're right."

Lily deflated at once, grumbling under her breath about guesswork.

"That doesn't bother you, does it Lily," Remus asked cautiously.

Lily blinked once, then again before gaping and half shouting, "of course not," at Remus, which caused baby Harry in her arms to kick up quite a fuss.

In response Lily got up and handed over the baby to Remus, then bent down and whispered something in his ear before leaving him there. Remus seemed quite happy now and made quick work of calming down his little cub.

Harry watched the whole thing smiling and wondering if the adults even realized he already knew the truth, but Sirius was already moving on.

**The giant turns his attention back to Harry and tells him Happy Birthday, and then hands him a cake.**

"That was so sweet," Lily smiled, clasping her hands with joy, "he didn't have to do that."

"Glad someone did," James muttered.

**Harry's first intention was to say thank you, but instead he couldn't help but ask who this man was.**

Lily frowned and wanted to reprimand but Remus quickly jumped in with, "Just be happy the boy has any manners at all Lily, with his kind of upbringing."

"Yeah, I'll bet Dudley wouldn't have even thought to do that," Sirius agreed.

Lily nodded grudgingly before Sirius continued.

**The giant laughed and declared himself as Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Keys at Hogwarts.**

Harry suddenly groaned, clutching his head in pain.

"Harry," they all said in concern, both Lily and James placing a hand on him.

"I remember this," Harry groaned, "I can't remember, but I know I do..." he trailed off muttering for a bit before sitting back and saying, "please keep going Sirius, the more that comes the less odd I feel."

Still casting him concerned looks Sirius complied.

**Then he turns himself back to the room at large and again requests tea, though jokingly adds he would take something stronger if offered.**

"I doubt they've got any brandy on hand," James frowned, hating to think if he was wrong and they had brought alcohol instead of anything else that was actually needed.

"Even if they had brought some, I doubt they'd offer it to him," Lily said.

**He spotted the empty grate and snorted, bending forward and blocking out the view from the rest of the room, but when he leaned back again there was a fire there.**

"Hagrid's not supposed to do magic," Remus chuckled, "though of course who could blame him in this instance."

"Why not," Harry asked eagerly, thinking he knew the answer to this, and much like with Hagrid's occupation, when he found out the answer another piece of him would feel right again.

"We don't know," Sirius sighed sadly, "we tried all sorts of things to get him to tell us, even got him snockered one night-"

"Sirius," Lily said loudly, though Sirius kept going, "-but he never told us. Quite disappointing really."

Harry frowned in disappointment but encouraged Sirius to go on none the less, hoping they would find out soon.

**He then busied himself for a few moments by taking all sorts of things out of his pockets, and begins a pot of tea, and a few sausages on a poker.**

Harry's lips twitched for a moment, feeling there was a significance to a pig for some reason, but remained quiet all the same.

**When he was done with the first few pieces of meat, Dudley fidgets, but Vernon snaps not to touch a thing that man offered.**

"Really?" Remus sighed sadly. "Does he think they're poisoned?"

"I would like to reiterate that we are just lucky Harry has any manners," Sirius stated.

**Hagrid ignores them and instead passes the sausages to Harry.**

James smiled sadly to himself, thinking privately that this was most likely the first time in his son's life someone had thought of him first. He resolved that he would have to find some way to thank Hagrid for this.

**Harry gladly eats the food, and after he was done he asks again if Hagrid could better explain who he was. Hagrid repeats his title and says that Harry should know all about Hogwarts. Harry tells him he doesn't.**

Remus chuckled darkly all of a sudden, causing Lily and Harry to look at him curiously, so he was quick to explain himself, "If there's one thing Hagrid loves most in the world it's his job at Hogwarts, and if there's one man he respect the most, it would be Dumbledore. For these Dursley's to not have told you Harry anything about it, oh Hagrid's going to lose his temper on them."

James suddenly smiled, thinking that this couldn't have worked out better, and that if there was any justice Hagrid would deliver it.

Sirius came to the same conclusion and read on eagerly.

**Hagrid looked shocked, and Harry quickly apologizes.**

"Why would you apologize?" Lily asked, "It's not as if it's your fault."

Harry merely shrugged, knowing that the quickest way to soothe someone's temper was to apologize and admit it was your own fault, however he didn't think any of them wanted to hear him say that.

**Hagrid says that it's the Dursleys who should be sorry, asking didn't Harry ever wonder where his parents learned it all. Harry asks the obvious follow up question, all what?**

James and Remus leaned in eagerly, and Sirius was practically bouncing in anticipation.

**Hagrid's clearly angry now, getting to his feet and rounding on the Dursleys as he yelled that Harry didn't know about** **_anything_ ** **? Harry felt a little indignant, thinking to himself that his school marks weren't that bad.**

"To be fair," Harry defended himself as his parents through him sympathetic looks, "taking that out of context, how was I supposed to know?"

"It's alright Harry, you will know soon enough," Sirius laughed.

"But I already know," he answered, now looking a bit confused.

"I mean in the book," then when he received strange looks, he just decided to press on.

**Harry defends himself out loud, saying he knows math and stuff. Hagrid waves him off and corrects him saying he meant their world. Harry, still understandably confused, asks what world? Hagrid looked ready to explode as he shouts Dursley at the top of his lungs.**

"Curse them," James muttered, "curse them into oblivion and I'll leave you all the gold in my vault."

**Hagrid doesn't believe it, saying he must at least know about his own parents, they're famous! Harry doesn't really believe him, saying there was no way his parents were famous. Hagrid just looks confused now, finally asking 'you don't know what you are?' Vernon butts himself back into the conversation, snapping that Hagrid needed to stop talking now, he forbad Hagrid from telling Harry anything!**

Lily shook her head from side to side, "got to give the man some points, that took a bit of bravery."

"Lily dear," Remus said solemnly, "I learned quite a bit in my seven years at school, one of which was that there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity. Vernon just crossed that line."

**Hagrid gave him such a fearsome look, Vernon shrank back against the wall again as Hagrid begins yelling about how they never told Harry, that they'd kept this from him! Harry is now eagerly asking 'kept what?' Vernon tries one last time to yell at Hagrid, he forbids him to know.**

"You can't control the world like you try to on Harry," James said in disgust.

**Petunia gave a gasp of horror.**

"Afraid all your nasty secrets are coming back at you," venom dripped from Lily's voice as she hissed that under her breath.

**Hagrid turns away from the three of them in disgust and tells Harry that he is a wizard. Harry's first reaction is to say, 'a what?'**

As all three boys cracked up laughing. Lily told them all to hush before turning to Harry and saying, "a very reasonable answer I assure you."

Still feeling a bit bashful Harry appreciated his Mum's attempt all the same.

**Hagrid repeats a wizard is if this is the most normal thing in the world, before sitting back down on the sofa.**

"Oh," James deflated at once, "that's it. I was hoping Hagrid would do much worse than shout at them."

Sirius, Remus, and Lily looked disappointed as well, but Harry felt like this conversation was far from over, something else was going to happen he just knew it, so he encouraged Sirius to continue.

**Then Hagrid finally hands over Harry's letter.**

"High time," Sirius muttered, while Lily and James felt a sense of loss, knowing they should have been there when their boy opened his letter.

**The envelope is now addressed to Harry as being on the floor, in a hut on a rock, in the sea.**

Remus frowned as he asked, "Hut on the Rock?"

"The Sea?" Sirius reread, ignoring the part that made him see red.

"That is odd," Lily admitted, "normally those letters are absurdly specific, why is it so vague this time?"

"Maybe it was because it was hand delivered this time," Remus offered. "I've never known one to be, so perhaps the magic of it wasn't needed as much that time," Remus used the only explanation that came to mind.

"Where were you anyways?" James asked Harry curiously.

"I've no idea honestly," Harry answered, "it's not like they told me."

**The letter inside is addressed to Harry from Hogwarts, labelling the headmaster as Dumbledore, and telling him that he's been accepted at said school. Enclosed will be a list of school supplies, that term begins on September 1st, and that they await his owl. When Harry is done reading, the first thing he manages to ask is, what did they mean by owl?**

Again all three boys burst out laughing at that.

After Sirius settled a bit he asked, "You've just found out you're a wizard, read a letter like that, and that's your first question?"

"It's a fair question," Lily defended her son, "after all the deadline was that day, and that is quite a bit odd to someone who's never heard it before."

The others only looked a mite shamed for taking the mickey out of Harry, but Sirius decided to keep going before Lily got to mad at their picking.

**Hagrid thumps himself on the forehead, saying that reminded him, and he pulls a real live owl out of a pocket of his jacket**

Harry frowned, looking concerned, "is that safe for the owl?"

"So sweet," Lily said smiling at him, "but yes of course, it's probably one of the school owls, and I'm positive he put cushioning charms and engorgement charms on his pockets. I'm sure the poor thing had plenty of room to breathe."

**a quill, and parchment and begins to write a letter which Harry reads upside down.**

"A real accomplishment that," Remus chuckled, "since his handwriting isn't exactly legible right side up."

**It is addressed to Dumbledore and states that Hagrid has retrieved Harry and that they are going to go shopping tomorrow. Then he gives the note to the owl and tosses the bird out of the window, Harry watching him do all this as if it were as normal as a telephone call.**

"What's a telephone?" James asked curiously.

"I showed you one when you came round to my place," Remus told him, "it's that thing on the wall you asked about."

"Oh yeah," James said, then frowned, "you called it a landline right? And you said you could talk to people a long ways off without an owl, but you didn't explain how it worked."

"That my friend, would take far too long," Remus chuckled.

**Hagrid tries to turn his attention back to Harry, but Vernon steps forward again and snaps that Harry is not going. Hagrid grunts and says he didn't really think a muggle could stop him. Harry asks what a muggle is.**

"He's so innocent," Sirius said sadly, "I feel ashamed he doesn't know better."

Lily rolled her eyes but let that one go.

**Hagrid explains that a muggle is what they would call someone who doesn't have any magical ability. Vernon is clearly not listening, still saying he refused to let Harry go, and that they had tried to stamp it out of him.**

"Stamp it out?" James repeated furiously. "Does he even realize what that can do to a wizard, to try and force them not to use their magic like that?!"

"But I am fine," Harry said quickly, before another outburst could occur, "and they never did anything more than what you've read."

"Still not right," they all muttered darkly.

**Harry couldn't believe his ears, demanding to know that they knew he was a wizard. Petunia shrieked 'knew, of course they knew!' Harry was the son of her dratted sister, who constantly came home showing off her magical prows.**

Sirius shook his head as if trying to get water out of his ears, he hated having to say all that stuff about Lily, but instead asked, "you were doing magic at home?"

Lily nodded distractedly, she had known her sister had disliked her use of magic, calling it unnatural, but she had no idea it had been pent up for this long. Then again, it explained the horrid way her son was now being treated. Treating her baby like this because of the way she was, it made her want to vomit as she realized her son's condition was all her fault.

As the silence dragged on and Lily didn't answer, Remus jumped in, without taking his eyes off of Lily, "yes, muggleborns are allowed to do magic there first two days back home, to prove that they are learning magic at school."

"Lily?" James said softly, reaching around Harry to place his hand gently on his wife's shoulder.

She blinked a few times, clearly distracted, and said in a vacant voice, "Yes dear, Sirius please go on."

Sirius gave James and Remus concerned looks, but decided to do as asked.

**Petunia snaps that while their parents doted on her, she was the only one who saw her as a freak! She continues on this rant, clearly having held all this in for quite some time.**

Lily pressed a shaking hand to her mouth, but when Sirius made as if to stop again she blurted out, "keep going, I want to hear what all she says."

Looking very concerned by this point, James decided to agree with Lily, for now.

**She finishes her little diatribe by saying how Lily had met Potter, and they had Harry, but then Lily got blown up and the Dursleys got stuck with Harry.**

Lily went pale as a sheet, and seemed either about to vomit, faint, or burst into tears at any given moment.

"Mum?" Harry spoke softly, and was also the first to speak up.

Suddenly bursting into tears, she threw her arms around her only child, technically anyways, and began apologizing incessantly about how sorry she was, and this was all her fault.

Harry simply sat there, looking frozen and almost fearful, until James got up and went around to her side of the couch. Sitting down on the armrest, he gently pried Lily off of Harry and whispered quietly in her ear for a moment. Lily nodded distractedly for a bit, before Harry finally came out of his shock and spoke up, "I don't blame you."

Lily brushed tears out of her eyes and gave him a watery smile, but Harry kept going before she could speak, "really, it's not your fault how she treated me. You couldn't have known, and it's not like you left me to their care on purpose."

She sighed, still looking relatively unconvinced, when Sirius spoke up from the floor, "Look at it this way Lil, we are going to fix this, stop it from happening if it's the last thing I do."

Remus shot Sirius a dark look, warning him that he didn't appreciate that kind of declaration before speaking up, "it is going to be alright Lily. Look at your boy now, despite all of that, he doesn't seem to be any the worse for wear," not one hundred percent true, but he was trying for comfort here.

Lily sighed and nodded, squeezed both of her boy's hands and then said softly, "yes, I know. Please let's just keep going."

It was clear that she didn't completely agree with them, that she still blamed herself, but if she didn't want to talk about it then there wasn't a force on earth that could change her mind.

**Harry is understandably outraged as he yelled back that they told him his parents died in a car crash.**

"Finally," Sirius crowed, "I'm so glad you told Hagrid that Harry. Let's hope Hagrid does a bit more then yell at them for that lie."

**Now Hagrid's angry again, jumping back up and shouting that a car crash could never kill Lily and James Potter! Harry urgently asks Hagrid what did happen to them, and Hagrid loses his anger to be replaced with anxious nerves.**

"Rats," James muttered snapping his finger, if only Harry had waited a few more moments to ask that.

**Hagrid's nervous now, clearly not wanting to be the one to tell Harry this, but reflecting Harry can't go off to school not knowing.**

"That would be kind of odd," Remus agreed.

**He threw a dirty look at the Dursleys,**

"Wish he'd do more than that," Sirius muttered darkly.

**but then agrees Harry has more a right then anyone to know. So he starts by saying that there was a person, and it was so weird to Hagrid Harry didn't know his name.**

"Which is amazing really," James sighed "considering so many people hate saying his name."

"Well, if they didn't know his name, then calling him You-Know-Who would have just been stupid," Lily reasoned.

"I still think it's just stupid," Sirius grumbled.

**Harry obviously asks for his name, but Hagrid shivers and clearly doesn't want to tell, instead saying that this was the most evil wizard ever and that's why they all feared him so much. Still he can't seem to spit out the name.**

"I hope Hagrid does tell you," Remus said sadly, "I'd hate for you to hear it some other way."

'We should have been the ones to tell him' Lily thought sadly.

**Finally he shuddered but manages to say the name Voldemort.**

"Well it's a start," James chuckled.

**Hagrid goes on by explaining how this dark wizard started looking for followers, and how he got them. Some were afraid and looking for protection, some wanted the power.**

"Kind of odd hearing about this past tense," Sirius said, mostly to himself.

"Kind of nice though too," Remus said wishfully.

**They were distrustful times. Then there were some that stood up to him, and You-Know-Who decided to kill them. They say Dumbledore's the only one You-Know-Who feared. Harry's mother and father were an excellent witch and wizard, and they stayed faithful on Dumbledore's side.**

"Voldemort and everyone knew that," Remus said with pride.

Sirius remained quiet, hating to think that his little brother had been dragged into that mess, wondering if he had come out of it, wondering if he was involved in the death of his best friend.

Lily and James locked eyes, knowing that if it was the choice of dying, along with their newborn child, or joining Voldemort, their death now made sense.

**No one knows for sure why he wanted the Potter's dead, all anyone knew for certain was that he showed up on Halloween.**

"Halloween?" Was whispered throughout the room, every occupant going as pale as death.

"That's at the end of this month," Sirius' voice barely came above a whisper as he looked to the two parents who were looking at each other in a way he'd never seen.

"That's so close," Remus muttered, clutching the baby in his arms slightly tighter to himself.

"So soon," Lily whimpered, while James tightened his hold on her.

**Harry was a year old.**

"A year old!" James yelped.

"So it's not until Halloween next year," Lily let loose a breath, that year suddenly feeling like a lifetime.

"More than enough time to come up with a plan," Remus reassured them all.

**Hagrid stutters that he came to their house, but doesn't seem able to get the rest of the sentence out.**

"It's okay Sirius," Lily said gently, when it became obvious he didn't want to say it, "we're not going to let it happen."

"I know," he snapped, a little more viciously than intended, "Hagrid's the one that couldn't get the words out." Looking slightly hurt, but also a bit warmed, Sirius mumbled a quick apology before hurrying on.

**He blows his nose loudly and apologizes, saying that he knew Harry's parents and it's so awful because they were such good people.**

"Definitely need to go by and see Hagrid again," James vowed aloud.

"Count me in for that," the other three agreed.

**You-Know-Who killed Lily and James Potter. Then he turned his wand on the baby, and tried to do the same, but it didn't work. That's the story behind the scar on Harry's forehead, why he's so famous. No one had ever survived once Voldemort wanted him dead, but Harry had.**

"Hum," Lily murmured, "we must have had time to place some sort of protective charm on him."

"I can't think of very many that would hold off that kind of curse," James offered.

"I know this," Harry muttered, rubbing at his forehead again, "I know the bloody answer to this."

"Well when you remember do please let us know," Remus said, looking intrigued, "It could be used to save our lives."

"Don't pressure the kid Moony," Sirius slightly chuckled, "I'm sure if he knows, he must have found out at some point during all of this," and he waved the book in his hand and at all the others before continuing.

**Hagrid even lists some of the other powerful wizards on the good side Voldemort had done in.**

"Remember those names" Lily said softly, "we need to warn them as well."

"Those were all members of the Order," Sirius said sadly.

"Those have some pretty big family's," Remus observed, "Wish Hagrid had been more specific if it's just the members of the Order, or their entire family or," and here he stopped and trailed off into muttering.

**Harry could feel something truly painful building inside of himself.**

"I don't need to remember that," Harry muttered, his head ache beginning to lessen a bit now, but still quite painful. He hoped that gaining back more of his memories wouldn't be quite this bad.

**Harry tries to think back to that dream of flashing green light, and now imagines a cruel laugh as well.**

"I sincerely doubt you remember that," Lily shivered, "just your subconscious mind trying to visualize what happened."

Harry shrugged, hoping that he really didn't remember that.

**Hagrid keeps talking, saying he took Harry from the rubble of his old house himself, but then Vernon finally bumps his way back in by saying it was rubbish. Harry jumped, nearly having forgotten they were there.**

"Wish they weren't," Sirius grumbled.

**Vernon seems angry again, saying he had accepted there was something weird about Harry, that he should have given him more of a beating to get it out of him.**

"How is a beating ever the answer," Lily cried, nearly lunging to her feet in rage.

"I'd like to give you a good beating," James snarled.

"You are so lucky I keep my word Dursley," Sirius snapped, looking about ready to toss the book into the fire.

Remus simply rocked the baby in his arms around a bit, trying to comfort himself with the knowledge that this hadn't happened yet, that his cub was fine.

Harry looked around at all of them, half smiling with love at their reactions, half afraid of what they really were going to do when things were all said and done.

**He claims that Harry's parents were weirdos,**

"Only in your twisted world," Remus growled.

"If he keeps going about you two..." Sirius hissed, growing a bit paler with every word he read, then sucking in a deep breath forcing himself to continue.

**and the world's better off without them**

"Accio!" Lily cried suddenly as Sirius really did look like he was about to chuck the book into the fire.

"That-" Sirius began swearing violently.

"He's speaking ill of the dead, to our son Lily," James said with a look of disgust, probably from referring to himself as dead.

"I still don't want him toasting this," Lily snapped, just as angry at being insulted like this in front of her child, but not willing to take it out on the book. When it looked as if Lily were about to continue the chapter, Sirius strode over and plucked it from her grasp.

After a brief glaring contest Sirius vowed, "I promise I won't try to burn this book again."

When Lily still held his gaze he continued, "or in any way try to destroy it."

Releasing her breath she sat back into the couch and Sirius went back to his place at the hearth before reading.

**and that he always knew they would come to a bad end.**

"Sirius, you sound ridiculous biting your tongue and reading," Remus said sadly.

"Yes well it's that or nothing," he said while spitting a bit of blood into the fire place and continuing.

**But at that moment, Hagrid leapt from the sofa and drew a battered pink umbrella from inside his coat.**

"Yes!" All four cheered, all malice gone from Sirius' voice as he now eagerly continued.

**Pointing this at Vernon he warned them that if he didn't stop talking, one more word out of him, then he trailed off threateningly.**

"Oh come on," James slumped back.

"Oh he will say one more word," Remus vowed, "I'd put money on that."

"Hopefully soon," Sirius huffed.

**In danger of being speared on the end of an umbrella by a bearded giant,**

Lily snickered quietly to herself at such a sentence, relieving a bit more tension in the room.

**Vernon took the threat for what it was and backed against the wall again. Hagrid turned back to Harry, who asks what happened to You-Know-Who. Hagrid admits that is a very good question. Some speculate that he died, but Hagrid doesn't believe that.**

"Still nice to think about though," Sirius sighed.

**Some say he's still out there, waiting his time, but he doesn't believe that either.**

"So what," Lily asked in confusion, "he doesn't believe he's dead, but he doesn't believe he's still out there? He can't be both. Even if he was a ghost he would still technically be in one of those two categories."

"I'm not sure," Remus said, rubbing his jaw thoughtfully, "there are areas of Dark Magic no decent wizard has even looked at, but as we all know Voldemort's as dark as they go. It really is unpredictable what could have happened to him that night."

"I'm voting for died," James said darkly, not wanting to think too long on it.

Sirius didn't want to think what Voldemort would do if he really wasn't dead, so he decided to read on.

**Some say he's still out there, without his powers, just too weak to do anything. Something about the night he attacked Harry must have done something to him, because that same night, You-Know-Who had vanished.**

All of the adults shivered in disgust, not wanting to think who Voldemort would come after if he ever did come back. Yet Harry was here, fully grown and healthy, so they felt safe in assuming that Voldemort did indeed die.

**Harry was beginning to doubt all of this. How could he be a wizard? He'd spent his life being bullied by the Dursleys.**

"Thanks for that awful reminder," James said darkly.

**If he was a wizard, why hadn't they been turned into toads every time they'd tried to lock him in his cupboard?**

"If only," Remus snapped in disgust.

**If he'd once defeated the greatest sorcerer in the world, how come Dudley had always been able to kick him around like a football?**

"Cause magic doesn't work like that," Lily said sadly, suddenly wishing that it did.

**Out loud he told Hagrid he must have made a mistake.**

"With your looks kid, not much of a mistake to make," Sirius laughed.

**Hagrid merely chuckles. Asking Harry if something weird had ever happened when Harry was scared or angry. Harry reflects back on all of the odd things that had ever happened to him, and realized Hagrid was right. The very latest incident for one, releasing the snake when Dudley had punched him…**

"All excellent examples of the good uses of magic," James beamed.

Lily smacked him lightly, but privately agreed, though thinking he should have never had to be in those situations.

**Harry looks back at Hagrid, smiling, and sees that Hagrid was beaming at him.**

"I wish you had told Hagrid about those moments Harry," Remus said sadly, "Hagrid would have taken you out of there faster than you can say Merlin."

"Wait for it," Sirius said with a bit of hope, "he still might."

**Hagrid comforts Harry, telling him it was impossible for him not to be a wizard, but Vernon has had enough. He steps up one last time, stating he would not allow Harry to go. Hagrid growls back that he couldn't stop him, that Harry was going to go to the best school of magic there was and be taught by the greatest wizard, Albus Dumbledore. Vernon shouts at the top of his lungs that he will not pay some old fool to teach him magic!**

"Yes!" James pumped his fist in the air as if he'd just won a Quidditch match. "If that doesn't get a reaction out of Hagrid nothing will."

"He's going to deserve every moment of it to," Remus said with a dark smile on his face.

Lily was practically vibrating, wanting to hear what had happened, and Sirius was quick to comply.

**Vernon had finally gone too far. Hagrid once again pulls out his pink umbrella, shouting that Dumbledore shall never be insulted in front of him, and brings the umbrella down in a flash of light on Dudley. The boy squeals in shock and begins dancing around, holding onto his backside, and when Harry gets a good look he sees a pig tail poking out of his pants.**

"Thank you Merlin!" Sirius crowd, tossing the book into the air in celebration.

"Thank you Hagrid!" James corrected, hugging Lily and Harry to him with almost as much joy as when Harry had first been born.

"High time that lot got some comeuppance," Remus agreed, bouncing the toddler in his arms around and making the baby giggle, joining in on the euphoric mood.

"Oh I hope he tried turning Petunia and Vernon into pig's as well," Lily said vengefully, feeling it was a small price for the way her baby had been raised.

Sirius leaned over to where the book had landed and quickly found his place again.

**Vernon and Petunia flip out, grabbing hold of Dudley and dragging him into the next room where they lock the door.**

"Aww," Sirius groaned after reading that, "I suppose it's too much to ask he goes after the lot."

"I don't think so," Harry said, still laughing slightly at all of their reactions.

"Rat's," all three boys muttered, while Lily privately thought about how they were going to go about explaining the tail to other muggles. She was positive Hagrid wasn't going to remove it, so that was a small amount of punishment.

**Hagrid is now stroking his beard and glancing down at his umbrella, admitting he probably shouldn't have lost his temper,**

"You should have lost it a long time ago," Sirius said, still slightly laughing.

"He would have if Harry had told him everything we know," Remus agreed.

**but it hadn't worked all the way. He had meant to turn Dudley into a real pig.**

James actually applauded Hagrid for this, while Lily reached over and shoved him off of the arm rest. Even landing on the floor he was still laughing, and after a few brief moments, he and his friends settled down enough that Sirius kept going while James got up and retook his earlier position on Harry's other side.

**Then he casts a sideways look at Harry and kindly asks him not to mention what he'd just done, since he technically wasn't supposed to do magic at all.**

"I'm sending Hagrid a thank you note," Remus said gleefully, "and I'm thinking about teaching him the proper way to do that spell."

"I'll help with that," Sirius cackled.

Lily and James were privately hoping that Hagrid would never have to use that spell, but didn't begrudge the two either.

**Harry asks why not**

James snorted a bit, "Like he's going to answer you when you ask like that."

"Yeah Harry, don't you remember the whole 'tried getting him drunk and it didn't work' bit?" Sirius asked.

"Well I didn't know that then," Harry told him exasperatedly.

Ignoring the strange looks he was receiving Sirius tried to finish the chapter. **.**

**and Hagrid begins to say that he did used to go to Hogwarts himself, but was expelled in his third year. They snapped his wand in half,**

Remus gave a low whistle, "wow Harry, he must really like you, we never even got that much out of him."

"Well it is a private matter," Lily scolded, "I wouldn't want to go boasting about being expelled either."

**but Dumbledore had allowed him to stay on as a gamekeeper. The affection in his voice for the man is obvious. Harry asks why Hagrid was expelled,**

"Blunt much," James laughed.

"Like you were ever any better," Lily reminded him.

**but without a hint of subtlety, Hagrid says that it was getting really late and they should head to bed.**

"Subtle," Remus snickered.

"Like you were any better," Sirius laughed, "exactly how many times did you use your mum as an excuse to sneak off again?"

"Thirteen by my count" James input.

Remus was about to counter when Harry asked, "Why were you sneaking off?"

All four paled and deflated at once, wanting to bite their tongues for, again, foolishly forgetting Harry didn't know. It was just so easy for them to forget, since they had never intended to hide anything in this house.

"Er," Remus started lamely when James said, a little too loudly, "How about we explain later."

Harry frowned severely at them, wanting to stop what he felt was just silly, "I've told you guys things I'd rather not, why's this different?" He almost added on that he already knew anyways, but then Sirius said, "Look pup, the chapters almost over, then," he threw Remus a sideways look, and waited for him to nod before continuing, "then we'll explain alright?"

Harry nodded and they all remained silent as Sirius finally finished.

**He tosses his thick jacket over to Harry and tells him not to mind if it wiggles, he may have left some mice in the pockets.**

Sirius closed the book and then threw a world weary look at Remus, who sucked in a deep breath, and then began to explain.


	6. DIAGON ALLEY

"Harry, I don't know what all you remember so far-" Remus began.

"Basically what you've read is all." Harry said sadly, eyeing Remus curiously. He looked like he was about to vomit, but at his words the man relaxed slightly.

"Well the nicknames and the sneaking off at school, it relates to me." He said slowly watching him very carefully.

"And the werewolf thing?" Harry interrupted again.

"Wha-how," he began.

"You mentioned it a little earlier," Harry said, looking about the room to the others who all looked just as stunned. "I didn't think much of it at the time. Why would I?"

Remus blinked spastically for several moments before shaking his head and finally letting out a weak chuckle and saying, "Yes well, I guess I never had bothered to sensor myself around my friends."

Harry grinned at him and then prompted, "So the nicknames? What does that have to do with sneaking off?"

"How about this," Lily said. "It really is a rather long story. How about we read two more chapters then stop for the night?" She looked around at all of the boys in the room in a rather maternal way. "It's been a long, exhausting day for all of us. Hopefully by then we'll be at a good stopping place. We can get some rest, and then before we continue Remus can tell you the whole story."

Harry nodded, accepting this rather glumly as yet another feeling swept through him. He felt he knew this story, had heard it once before. But like everything else when he tried to dig for the memory a sharp pain was all he got.

The people on the couch were suddenly startled as Sirius called from the fireplace, "Heads up you two." He said as he chucked the books their way.

Harry instinctively ducked, while James reacted by catching it, then snapped. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"Well it's one of you two's turn," Sirius said brightly. "I figured who ever got hold of it would have to read next."

"That's absurd," Lily glared at him. "What if you'd hit one of us?"

"Come on Lily," Sirius sighed, "I was a beater; I do have better aim than that."

"It's my turn anyways you nitwit," Remus rolled his eyes.

"It's fine" James chuckled, flipping to the correct chapter, "I've already got it, so I'll read."

**When Harry woke the next morning, he tried to convince himself he'd dreamed the whole event last night.**

"Harry, really?" Remus chuckled, "I don't think anyone has that kind of imagination."

"I once had a dream that I was abducted by mermaids," Lily told them with a shrug. "Surely you've had strange dreams."

"What's this have to do with mermaids?" Sirius frowned.

"I think we're getting just a bit off topic huh?" Then he kept going to ignore the glare.

 **He** **heard a** **tapping noise, and was convinced** **that it was** **his Aunt knocking on his cupboard. He closed his eyes and tried to linger on his dream.**

"Who can blame you," James agreed. "I'd dream about escaping that place as well."

 **He** **hears** **the tapping noise** **again and sighs then decides to sit up** **only to have Hagrid's jacket fall off of him. Hagrid was still asleep on the sofa, and the noise was coming from an owl at the window, tapping its talons to come** **in with a newspaper** **in its beak.**

"The best morning of my life really," Harry smiled at now having such a good memory to look on.

The others all grimaced slightly at that, finding this more than depressing. Harry on the other hand seemed in such a good mood that none of them wished to ruin it.

**Harry got happily to his feet, giddier than he'd ever been in his life as he opened the window and the owl swooped in to drop the newspaper on Hagrid. Then began attacking Hagrid's abandoned jacket. Harry tried to shoo the bird away, but it merely snapped at him.**

Sirius laughed at that, "I remember one time I tried to get away with not paying the owl, bloody thing left scratches on my arms for weeks."

"Why would you do that?" Lily asked, genuinely curious.

"Wanted to see what would happen," he answered honestly.

"Of course you did!" Remus said to the ceiling, shaking his head in disbelief.

**Harry asked Hagrid, who was still half asleep, what he should do? Hagrid grunted that he wants to be paid, so Harry began to look in his pockets.**

"That is the opposite of descriptive." Lily said, thinking about all the things Hagrid had already pulled out of those pockets.

**Hagrid's coat seemed to be made of nothing but pockets, but after sifting through several of them he comes across a handful of strange-looking coins.**

"Strange looking?" James asked.

"I've showed you muggle money James," Lily reminded him. "Does it look anything like wizard money?"

"Fair enough," James sighed.

 **Hagrid tells Harry to give the owl** **five Knuts, but Harry was confused and asked what Knuts were?**

All four again flinched, hating Harry's ignorance and seeing it almost as a sign of their failure. They knew the longer this went on, the worse this feeling would get.

**Hagrid told him the little bronze ones and Harry gave the owl the due money. The owl flew away as Hagrid stretches and sits up from the couch.**

Sirius snorted, "If he was just going to get up why did he make Harry do that?"

"To teach him I suppose," Remus supplied.

"Right," James drew out the word in disbelief.

 **Hagrid** **told** **Harry that they should head off to London soon. Harry was now looking at the** **coins and had** **just thought of something that would put a real damper on their day.**

"Right," James said, nodding sadly. "He won't know about the vault then?"

"Vault," Harry asked curiously.

Both Lily and Remus opened there mouths but Sirius butted in first, "I am positive Hagrid is about to explain." James read ahead a bit and then agreed, so read out loud.

 **Harry remind** **ed** **Hagrid that Vernon won't pay for him to go to** **this school** **and Hagrid told him his parents left money for him. Harry** **began** **to ask about their house being destroyed.**

"Why would you think that?" Remus asked. "Even muggles don't keep money in their house."

Harry thought back and answered, "Well Hagrid had that money on him. I suppose I was thinking more about how wizards had a way to keep bunches of money on them."

Sirius chuckled and said, "Ah, ignorance really is bliss eh?"

Frowning severely at him, Lily looked about to tell Sirius off for this, but James was already reading again.

 **Hagrid told him that wizards have their own bank called Gringotts, that was run by goblins, where they stored their money.** **Hagrid** **boasts slightly saying** **that the only place safer to store something then Gringotts was Hogwarts.** **He remembered he has to visit Gringotts today anyway as a** **favor to Dumbledore, because Dumbledore knows he can trust him.**

"Knows you can protect things," Sirius disagreed.

"Come now Sirius," Remus frowned at him. "Hagrid has proved to be very trustworthy."

"Oh I'm not disagreeing with that," Sirius quickly explained. "I'm just saying Hagrid is the opposite of subtle. If Dumbledore needed something done, secretly important I mean-"

"So not the point right now," Lily interrupted the two.

 **The two** **finished** **getting ready and** **headed** **outside.** **Harry looked around and did not see another boat so he had to ask how Hagrid got there** **. Hagrid simply says 'flew.'**

"I guess he couldn't apparate." Remus said thoughtfully, "Without a proper wand and all."

"Don't think any kind of model broom would hold him." James said, running his hand through his hair in thought.

"Thestrals!" Lily and Sirius said at the same time.

"What?" The other three all said at the same time.

Sirius was grinning wickedly at Lily while saying, "Remus, remember our care of Magical creatures class, Professor Kettleburn mentioned the Thestrals that roam the grounds. I do believe he mentioned something about them having been raised by Hagrid."

"Oh that's right," Remus agreed, smiling now. "Though I find it hard to believe that you remembered that and I didn't."

"Always liked magical creatures," Sirius said primly, while eyeing Remus with a devilish smirk.

Lily said loudly to Harry, before a familiar round could start. "Thestrals are magical creatures that can carry immensely heavy loads. It's not out of the realm that Hagrid could have used one to get to Harry, and then sent it back to the castle."

"But how are they going to get off the rock?" James asked.

"Well you have the book," Remus said, still eyeing Sirius as if he was about to chuck something at him, though with the baby still in his arms his options were limited, "you tell us."

 **Harry repea** **ted** **'flew' back in shock, but Hagrid** **didn't** **elaborate and** **instead said** **that they'll have to borrow the Dursleys boat for now, he's not supposed to use** **magic anyway.**

"Bummer," Sirius sighed.

 **As they settled in the boat, Harry** **was** **watching Hagrid** **while** **trying to imagine him flying.**

Lily chuckled and agreed, "Picturing Hagrid flapping his arms about, yeah I can't imagine that much either."

 **Once** **they are both in, Hagrid** **gave** **Harry another sideways look and mentions how much of a shame it would be to row, so perhaps if he did a bit more magic Harry wouldn't mention it?**

Now all five of them were chuckling, none of them blaming Hagrid one bit. One of the drawbacks to constantly having magic was a bit of an impatient side.

 **Harry** **agreed at once** **and Hagrid p** **ulled** **out his pink umbrella again and taps the edge of the boat. Now out on the water, Harry** **asked** **why Gringotts is so safe. Hagrid** **explained** **that there are all sorts of spells guarding it, and rumor has** **it that there were** **dragons in the lower levels.**

Lily blinked several times in shock, "I've never heard that."

"It's true," Sirius and Harry said at once, and then gave each other startled looks.

"How would you know?" James asked him curiously, "my vault isn't that far down."

"I, err-" Harry muttered rubbing his temple again in frustration. He'd had only a brief moment of being sure that was right, now it was gone as quick as it had come. "I've no idea," he finally admitted in frustration.

Still frowning in concern at Harry, Sirius answered, "Well my cousin, Bellatrix, her vault is that far down. We don't get on much anymore, but when I was a lot younger I went with her and her family to Diagon Alley, we had to ride down there. Poor beasts, they weren't any happier to be down there then I was."

"You mean to tell me, there are dragons underneath Diagon Alley?" Lily yelped, looking suddenly fearful.

"How on earth are they kept down there?" She frowned in concern.

Sirius frowned as he thought back, "Um, they were chained up, but they used these things to keep them back. Honestly I stayed in the cart, so I can't give too much detail."

"Is that even legal?" James demanded, now frowning in anger.

"How should I know?" Sirius threw his hands up in surrender, while all eyes turned to Remus.

Remus frowned while rubbing his jaw before answering thoughtfully. "If the Goblins purchased the dragon legally, then by their right they can technically do whatever they wish to it, so long as it's being fed properly. The Ministry doesn't have much control, or say what Goblins do."

They were all frowning by the end of this, while Lily huffed, "That still doesn't make it right."

James reached over and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder before saying, "Well, you are in the Magical Law division, I have high expectations you'll have something to say about this then."

Lily nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly, before James went on.

 **While Harry sat and thought** **about it** **, Hagrid flipped open his newspaper and began browsing through** **it** **. Harry was itching to ask more questions, but experience from Vernon had taught him to never interrupt someone reading the paper.**

James turned to Harry and said with the sternest face any of them had ever seen, "Rule number one for the rest of your life, forget anything and everything those Dursley's ever taught you."

Harry gave him a slight nod, not bothering to correct him that this rule was already a moot point no matter how you looked at it.

 **When Hagrid** **huffed about something the Ministry of Magic was messing up** **, Harry couldn't help the next question that burst out of him about there being a Ministry of Magic.**

"If you can call it that," Sirius said in disgust.

"You didn't ask about that now?" Remus asked Harry.

"Honestly, I've just learned to let you guys talk, and pick it up as I go along," Harry laughed.

Lily shook her head and said, "Remember what your father just said? If you have a question, please speak up."

Harry looked around at all of them, before nodding sagely, promising to remember that. "Guess I shouldn't bother asking what the ministry is again though?" He asked, as he looked at the book, "Since Hagrid's most likely fixing to say." James nodded and decided to keep going.

**Hagrid says of course there is, and that they wanted Dumbledore himself as Minister, but he turned the job down, and it turned to a man named Cornelius Fudge.**

"Really," all four adults said in genuine surprise.

"Here I thought Crouch was a shoe in," Sirius said in surprise.

"Well I'm happy anyways," Lily said brightly, "that he didn't. I find his methods, almost medieval."

"Oh come now Lily," James said, frowning at her, "he's strict, and he feels that's the only way to get through and show people there's still a ministry at all." Lily shrugged, she wasn't taking it back.

Despite what Harry had just promised, he smothered the question of who Crouch was, as he had an inkling he should know that name himself, but he still didn't feel up to asking them for such details.

 **Harry asks what a Ministry of** **Magic did** **and Hagrid** **said** **their main job** **was** **to make sure Muggles didn't find out about the magical world. When Harry a** **sked** **why, Hagrid explains that everyone would** **want** **a magical solution to their problems, and it would be best for Muggles to just leave them alone. Then the boat bumped against the shore and they climbed out and began heading into town.**

James suddenly let out a rather vindictive snort, causing Lily to look at him in concern and ask, "What on earth was that for?"

Answering with glee, but without looking up he responded, "I would like to briefly point out that it in no place does it say that the boat made its way back to that rock."

While Lily had a sneaking suspicion that Hagrid must have put a charm on the boat for it to return to the island, which Harry may not have noticed it floating back out. After a moment the others all burst into dark laughter as well, but James quickly decided to press on, knowing his luck wasn't so good and that those Dursley's would be trapped there forever.

**Passerby's stared a lot at Hagrid as they walked through the town to a train station.**

"Well that wasn't much of an explanation," Remus pointed out when it became clear that Hagrid wasn't going to continue.

"It's fine for now," Harry said quickly, simply wanting his father to keep going. He felt no real feelings towards any ministry, so he didn't find it too important to learn about right this moment.

 **Harry couldn't blame** **them since** **Hagrid was so huge he stood out all on his own, plus he kept on pointing at ordinary things like parking meters and saying loudly how odd they were. Harry delayed him by** **asking if he had really meant what he said about there** **being dragons in Gringotts. Hagrid admits it is only a** **rumor and then admitted his wants** **of a dragon of his own.**

"He'd like one?" They said in shock.

 **Harry** **repeated** **back that Hagrid would really like a** **dragon** **and Hagrid** **said** **he's always wanted one since he was a kid.**

"Why?" Lily gaped, "They're completely unmanageable." Remus simply shrugged, finding it as odd as everyone else.

 **Then they reach the train station and** **walkway** **where people continued to stare at Hagrid as he pulled out knitting supplies.**

"Suppose that would be a sight," Lily said, smiling to herself at the image.

 **Hagrid** **asked** **Harry if he's still** **had** **his list and to take a look at all of his supplies, so Harry looks at the second page which consists of all sorts of textbooks about potions and charms.**

"You can always tell a lot about the teachers you're going to have by the books," Sirius said sadly.

"And judging by the few new ones, Harry should have a few interesting teachers," Remus agreed.

"We know that there's going to be a new Defense teacher," Lily agreed thoughtfully. "Do you think any of the other teachers would have changed?"

"Won't know until he gets there then," James pointed out.

 **Requir** **ing things such as a** **cauldron, dragon hide gloves, and a wand. Then** **ending with a reminder that you can only bring one of three pets, an owl, a cat, or a toad.**

"Remember Barney, he brought his newt all seven years, and no one said a word," Sirius laughed.

"You would think they would enforce that pet policy a bit more," Remus agreed.

**There is also a note of reminder that first years are not allowed their own broomsticks.**

"Which is a horrid rule," James grumbled, "first years should be allowed to join the Quidditch team if they choose."

"They're supposed to be focusing on their school work," Lily disagreed.

"You could apply that to all seven years then," Sirius said, siding with James on that.

"What's Quidditch," Harry butted in, before the argument continued further.

James and Sirius looked faint all of a sudden, never having thought such words could come from any person's mouth, let alone their Marauder Junior. Before either boy could jump and go into absurd detail Remus gave Harry a quick general idea of it. When he was done Lily smiled at him and said, "Thank you Remus. If we'd let these two answer, we'd be here for hours."

"But he didn't even mention," James began at once, but Lily cut him off with a firm glare and said, "you can go on all you like later dear, for now how about we keep going on this." Sirius and James shared exasperated looks, but James decided to agree, for now.

 **Harry asked if they could really buy all of this in Lond** **on** **and Hagrid mysteriously says 'if you know where to go.' They exit the train and go out onto an ordinary street, and Harry begins to wonder if there really was wizard money hidden beneath the street.**

"It is quite a lot to take in," Lily agreed, remembering back to her first time, wishing with all she had she'd been the one with Harry at this moment.

**Could this all be one big joke cooked up by the Dursleys?**

All three boys gave derisive snorts at that, while Sirius growled, "Please, those three wouldn't know a joke if it bit them in the-"

"Language," Lily reprimanded at once.

"Oh please Lily," James sighed, "Sirius has been talking like that this whole time."

Lily frowned severely at them both before reminding them, "There is still a child in the room, and I don't want him to be growing up around that kind of talk. Now I can't stop you every time, but I will for the minor things." Huffing and grumbling, both boys agreed, it wasn't worth the argument right now.

 **Yet for some reason he couldn't** **explain it to** **himself, Harry trusted Hagrid.**

"Maybe it's because Hagrid is a trustworthy person," Remus said frowning, "and you're not used to being around that kind."

Harry gave him a sad smile, not really wanting to agree, but not disagreeing either before pointing out, "I am now." Feeling a bit warmed, James continued.

 **When they do stop, it's in front of a grungy little place called the Leaky Cauldron. Harry looked around and** **saw that** **no one else seemed to notice this place, their eyes skipping from one shop to the next without even glancing at it.**

"They can't," Lily explained for him, "it's magically protected that way."

**For a famous place, it was very dark and shabby.**

"That's part of its charm though," Sirius laughed, having gotten drunk a fair few times in that place.

**They entered and found it with only a few occupants, noting the bartender in particular who had a walnut shaped head.**

"I just love the way you describe people," James laughed, never having thought of Tom that way.

 **Hagrid calls out a greeting to him, calling him Tom, but when he asks if Hagrid will be staying for a drink, Hagrid says he can't because he's escorting Harry Potter today. This draws the attention of every person in** **there.**

All four adults frowned at this, having recognized in the first chapter that this was the reason that Harry had been kept away from most magical folk, but still not liking this attitude much.

 **T** **hen suddenly they were all lined up in front of him, shaking his hand.**

"Jeez, pushy much," Sirius said frowning; suddenly wishing he was there to keep them all back.

"They could show a bit more decorum," Lily agreed, hoping Hagrid would do something about this soon.

Remus and James were frowning and shaking their heads, remembering all over again just what exactly Harry was now famous for, and not liking the reminder. Harry could sense how upset this was making them, and while he didn't like it anymore than they did, he did venture to ask one thing, "How did they even recognize me? Hagrid I'll give, Dumbledore surely was the one to tell him, but them?"

"Most likely they had a picture of you," Lily sighed, "if your name is so famous then I'd bet there would be pictures of at least James and I floating around, and you do resemble your father enough it's not hard to miss." This only seemed to depress the lot of them all the more, so Harry didn't press for more details, admitting they wouldn't know anyways.

 **They were all introducing themselves to Harry, and** **he** **even recognizes a man who introduces himself as** **Dedalus** **Diggle, who Harry had once seen in the street and had bowed to him.**

"Well we were right before," Sirius said, taking a brave stab at their normal conversation again. "The members of the Order are still hanging around him a bit."

"Fat lot of good it did," James grumbled, having hoped that all those dark feelings from being around the Dursley's wouldn't have been brought up again, at least this soon.

"It does make me at least thankful that it was an Order member, and not someone else," Remus scowled, still thinking any of Voldemort's supporters were likely to want revenge on Harry and his tucked away life with the Muggles held the smallest glimmer of good.

**One woman kept coming back to shake his hand again and again.**

"Really now," Lily huffed, "this is getting ridiculous."

**Another stand out comes edging up, and Hagrid introduces him as Professor Quirrell, a teacher at Hogwarts.**

"Oh," they all brightened at this change, "What do you suppose he teaches?" Lily asked eagerly.

"Won't find out till I read now will I?" James asked cheekily, while Lily reached around and smacked him lightly. Harry wasn't listening; he was blinking in surprised shock as he realized that name should mean something to him, something he definitely didn't like. Perhaps he was just a really bad teacher?

 **Quirrell** **stutters out a greeting.**

"Is he going to stammer like that the whole time?" Sirius asked with a frown, "because it will get quite annoying."

"You're quite annoying, and we put up with you," Lily reprimanded.

 **Harry politely ask** **ed** **what class he teaches, and Quirrell stutters out Defense Against the Dark Arts, then shudders at the idea of his own subject.**

"Not the best teacher for the subject then," Remus said sadly.

"Remember Kimbell? That woman couldn't read a book right side up properly, can't think of many teachers worse than her," Sirius laughed.

**Then he gives a nervous laugh and stutters out that he had to go pick up a book on vampires, clearly going paler at the thought of that.**

"Dumbledore must be really desperate by this point," James sighed.

"I don't get it?" Harry finally asked, there was clearly something going on here

"Oh," Remus said in surprise, "yes well, there's a rumor that the Defense Against the Dark Art's teaching post is cursed."

"Voldemort supposedly cursed the position years ago," James added on.

"And as no teacher ever held the job for longer than a year, for various reasons, most of us are inclined to agree," Remus finished.

 **Finally Hagrid w** **aved** **everyone away who was still trying to talk to Harry.**

"About time," they all huffed.

 **Hagrid bustled** **Harry out the back door into an alleyway. Hagrid grin** **ned** **at the look on Harry's face and rem** **inded** **him that he's famous, and made a light joke that even Quirrell was trembling to see him, then he corr** **ected** **himself** **and said** **he** **was** **always like that. Harry ask** **ed** **why he's** **was a** **lways that nervous, and Hagrid says that he went out on a sabbatical a year ago, got into some trouble with vampires and hags, and didn't come back the same.**

Remus nodded sadly, "I suppose if you don't know how to handle those instances they could have an effect on you."

"But he's the DA teacher," Sirius said in exasperation, "he should be exactly the one to handle those things." The other three all agreed, and guessed that this wasn't going to be a very good start to Harry's magical education in that class.

**Harry's head was beginning to swim with too much information.**

"You're feeling alright now though?" Lily asked quickly in concern.

Harry however was leaning comfortably back against the couch, and nodded quickly to her, "I can't explain it, but this all seems perfectly normal to me now. New still yes, but ordinary."

"And you'll tell us if you do feel overwhelmed?" James reminded, feeling almost overly concerned.

Harry promised that he would.

 **Hagrid pulled out his umbrella again and ope** **ned** **the door to get into Diagon Alley. Once inside, Hagrid started pointing out all sorts of shops, and Harry wish** **ed** **he had a dozen more eyes to look around with.**

"I don't blame you," Lily laughed, remembering her first time in, "I couldn't stay in one spot."

"Bet your first stop was the book store," Sirius teased. Lily's blush was enough of an answer for them.

 **As they passed people on the street Harry heard scraps of passing conversations, including one woman compl** **aining** **that the price of Dragon liver had gone up to sixteen Sickles an ounce.**

James let out a throaty whistle, "boy prices sure went up in the passing time."

"Unavoidable that," Remus laughed.

**They passed a few more shops that caught Harry's eye, including one that had a broomstick in the window.**

"The best shop in the Alley," Sirius agreed.

**The two boys gawking in front of the store were going on about a new model that had come out called a Nimbus Two Thousand.**

"Nice," both boys chanted at once. "Oh I wish we could see it," Sirius added on.

"Probably not anytime soon," Remus gently reminded.

 **They made their way to Gringotts, and on the front doors was an engraved plaque that rea** **d.**

Lily actually said along with James.

**Enter, stranger, but take heed**

**Of what awaits the sin of greed,**

**For those who take, but do not earn,**

**Must pay most dearly in their turn.**

**So if you seek beneath our floors**

**A treasure that was never yours,**

**Thief, you have been warned, beware**

**Of finding more than treasure there.**

All the others looked at Lily in shock; James was finally able to ask, "How on earth did you memorize that?"

"I love poems of all kind," Lily told him, "I memorized that the first time I saw it."

"Nutter, honestly," Sirius laughed, but quickly stopped when Lily gave him a sharp glare.

**They made their way to a free goblin and requested to go to Harry's vault, and the goblin asks for Harry's key.**

"At least the goblins are professional," Lily grumbled, still smarting slightly from the Leaky Cauldron.

**Hagrid had to dig through his many pockets before coming up with the tiny object.**

"How though?" James suddenly asked in surprise, "If that's the key to my vault, how did Hagrid get it?"

"Dumbledore most likely," Lily reminded him, "he seemed to have taken responsibility over for Harry."

She threw Sirius a pained looked, who had paled a bit before continuing, "he probably held onto it, and then gave it to Hagrid when he went to fetch Harry."

James nodded absentmindedly, thinking of the other possessions he had in his house, wondering what had become of certain items. He suddenly shook himself as he got off track, deciding he'd have to think about it later.

**Then Hagrid hands over a note, stating it was from Dumbledore, and they needed to visit another vault as well.**

"Could he be any vaguer?" Sirius frowned.

"Honestly if he'd just come out and said what it was, Harry probably wouldn't even know," Remus agreed.

"Why wouldn't he want Harry to know anyway?" James asked.

"Search me," Lily sighed.

 **After the goblin read the note he** **had** **no problems summoning another goblin, Griphook, to take them below.**

"Were you expecting anyone else at this point?" Sirius chuckled.

Harry didn't answer, as he felt it again. An insistent niggle telling him there was a connection to that name, and one he was sure he didn't like, and this time he had no idea why that could be.

 **Harry ask** **ed** **what's in this special vault Hagrid has to visit.**

"My point," Remus interrupted, James just ignored it.

 **Hagrid says he can't tell Harry,** **it's top secret.**

"If it's so important then why did Dumbledore send Hagrid to get it at the same time as getting Harry," Lily asked severely, "he couldn't have gone to get it some other time."

"Convenience I suppose," Sirius shrugged.

 **They pass through another door into a dungeon like area, with a cart waiting. When they climb inside it b** **egan** **moving on its own in all sorts of twisting and confusing patterns through the caverns.**

"Of course it is," Remus laughed, "considering the route magically changes every time anyways."

 **The** **goblin** **wasn't even steering. At one point they go over an underground lake with stalactites and stalagmites growing all over the place. Harry tells Hagrid he forgets the difference between the** **two** **and Hagrid says stalagmites have a 'm' in them.**

All five of them burst out laughing at this. James managed to recover first, wiping slight tears from his eyes as he gasped, "well he's not wrong."

Remus was still snickering slightly as he began, "stalactites grow from the ceiling, stalagmites grow on the floor. That's the basic answer anyways."

"Is there anything you don't know?" Sirius demanded.

"How your mind works," he responded without looking over.

 **Then he** **told** **Harry not to ask him anymore questions, he's feeling sick.**

James grimaced in disgust, "that wouldn't be a pleasant trip."

"I'd imagine it happened all the time though," Lily agreed, having a bit of a weak stomach for roller coaster type things herself.

 **The cart** **came** **to a stop outside an unnumbered vault and Griphook reques** **ted** **the key and o** **pened** **it. Inside is a treasure trove worth of money all for Harry.**

"That should hold you till school's over anyways," James said sadly, wishing he could have left his son with something a bit more then gold, "after you turn seventeen, you'd inherit the whole of the Potter vault, so this is practically nothing." Harry went a little cross eyed at the thought of such riches, but couldn't think of anything to say to it really. 'Thank you' just didn't seem to quite cover it.

"Assuming you're not like your father and try to buy a new broom every year. Or buy all of your supplies in solid gold," Lily said scathingly throwing James a bit of a dirty look.

James was quick to defend himself, "hey, can you blame me; I was trying to impress a pretty girl."

Lily just rolled her eyes, and pointed at the book before he could keep going.

**Harry was understandably a little overwhelmed. The Dursleys had complained his whole life of how much he cost them, and there was no way they could have known this existed, or surely they would have taken this away from him as well.**

"No, they couldn't," Remus snapped, seeing red for a brief second at such a thought, "it's magically protected."

"Thankfully," Lily said quickly, "I think Harry's right, and they just don't know it exists. So it shouldn't even be a problem." Privately she was thinking that, legally, yes the Dursley's very well could have rights to this, if anyone informed them that was.

**They complained all the time how expensive Harry was.**

A bit deeper grumbling, but thankfully, no outburst this time.

 **Hagrid helped Harry pack away a bit of the money that he could use today to get his school supplies while explaining the wizard currency to him. Then they** **got** **back into the cart and Hagrid** **requested** **if the cart could possibly go slower.**

"One speed only," Remus chuckled, "it's magically enchanted that way."

"You know a bit too much about this stuff," Sirius told him, giving him an eye.

Remus blushed a bit before saying, "yes well, I briefly considered a career in curse breaking. So I studied up quite a bit on the subject," all the other occupants gave him startled looks before James said with hurt in his voice, "you never told us that."

"Remus, you'd be traveling all the time," Lily said sadly. Sirius looked akin to a kicked puppy.

"Considered," he repeated quickly, "I figured, you know Goblins wouldn't mind me much and-"

"So what changed?" Sirius asked quickly, seeing his friends line of reasoning, though still not liking it much, he could hardly fault him.

"Harry," he answered, smiling down at the baby in his arms, and then looking at the adult squished between his parents. "When I found out Lily was pregnant, I decided to stay local for at least a bit longer. I wanted to be there while both of your parents were still getting their feet together, their own careers you know. Sirius is pretty busy with the Order, and Peter has been moving around just as much lately, restless I suppose," he gave a half shrug at all of their looks and said, "I figured I'd bring it up eventually."

"We will discuss this later," James said, giving his friend a stern look, though unimaginably warmed at the thought behind it.

Harry briefly considered interrupting to ask what the 'Order' was, since this was mentioned several times before, but James was already reading on and he decided to save it for later.

 **Griphook** **told him the cart had** **one speed only. Now they were heading even deeper underground, at one point going over a ravine, and Harry pokes his head out of the side of the cart to see what was below.**

"Not safe," Lily said at once, "not safe at all, you could have gotten your head knocked off."

"Relax Lily," James laughed, "I did that almost every time I went down. Those tracks won't hurt you."

**Hagrid pulled him back by the scruff of his neck.**

Despite James assurance, Lily still felt relieved at this.

 **When they reac** **hed** **Hagrid's requested vault, number seven hundred and thirteen, it had no keyhole. Griphook goes over and runs his finger down the wall instead, and then tur** **ned** **to Harry and** **told** **him if anyone but a Gringotts goblin did that, they'd be trapped inside. Harry asks how often they check for that, and Griphook says every ten years or so.**

"Pleasant," Sirius grumbled.

"That's murder," Lily said in shock.

"Do you really think they care?" James asked curiously.

"Goblins live by their own rules, remember?" Remus asked Lily, "they see this as just punishment for trying to steal their stuff, and the ministry doesn't interfere in Gringotts."

 **Harry was sure there must be something really fascinating in here, but when he first poked his head** **in there** **was nothing to be seen. Then Hagrid grabbed up a small little package wrapped in grubby paper and tucked it away in his jacket. Harry wanted dearly to ask, but knew better.**

"I don't," Sirius said at once, "but I suppose you don't know that answer." Harry shook his head, rubbing his temple in agitation again.

**Now that they were all done in there and back out in the bright sunshine of the alley, Harry had a pocket full of money and he wanted to go around and look at everything all over again. He was carrying more money than he had his whole life, possibly even more then Dudley ever had.**

"That can go to your head," Lily said, not quite reprimanding, just cautioning.

"Relax," Remus told her, "he's with Hagrid; he won't let him go crazy."

 **Hagrid** **requested if it was ok if he went and got himself** **a drink,** **the** **cart ride had really messed up his** **stomach. He** **told Harry to go into a place called Madam Malkin's robe shop by himself. Harry agrees, though still nervous.**

"What?" All four adults yelped in shock.

"He really shouldn't have left you alone like that," Lily said at once.

"It's fine," Harry soothed, "I wandered around by myself on my own all the time. The only reason I was nervous was because of the magical part." None of them were really very happy about this, but they also knew Madam Malkin was a professional type of woman, so they figured it was better than somewhere else he could have been left.

 **Harry ent** **ered** **and** **was** **escorted to the back to be fitted with ro** **bes** **and finds another boy already back there with pale blond hair. He start** **ed** **the conversation by asking if Harry was in Hogwarts too.**

Lily smiled sadly, knowing this was Harry's first interaction with a boy his age, from the magical world. It was still depressing to think her son didn't have any friends all this time.

 **Harry** **agreed that he was** **, and the boy conti** **nued** **by saying his father was out getting his books, and his mother was out looking at wands.**

"See," Harry spoke up, "he was left on his own. It's not that odd."

"Still," James grumbled.

"Why would his mother be looking at wands?" Remus asked, "it wouldn't do him any good."

"Maybe she needs a new one," Sirius suggested with a shrug.

**Then he continued in a bored voice that he was going to bully his father into getting him a racing broom and try to smuggle it in.**

All four adults suddenly frowned at this, suddenly deciding that they'd rather Harry didn't continue talking to this boy. They didn't much like his attitude.

 **Then he** **kept** **going by asking Harry if he had his own broom, and when Harry repl** **ied** **in the negative, he asks if Harry knows anything about Quidditch, which again Harry denies.**

"Don't," Remus and Lily said at once.

"But you didn't even scratch on-" Sirius began.

"You can talk about it later," Lily repeated, growing rather annoyed that they just wouldn't let it go.

Taking a hint, James decided to keep going.

 **The boy is now boasting slightly** **by** **saying he's positive he'll be a shoo in for his own house team, and asks Harry if he knows which house he'll be in, and Harry once again says no, feeling stupider all the time.**

"My poor dear," Lily sighed, running her hand through his hair in sympathy.

"Don't smother him Lily," James laughed.

"What are houses?" Harry asked before Lily could respond hotly.

"The four Hogwarts houses," Remus said at once, not wanting Sirius to get a biased opinion in, "Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. When you get to school, you'll be sorted into one of the four houses depending."

"Depending on what," Harry inquired, when it seemed Remus wasn't going to keep going.

"It's up to the Hat," Sirius said honestly.

When Harry's blank look continued James jumped in with, "well, when you get to Hogwarts, then you'll fully understand. Besides, I want to see the look on your face when you, err, remember it for yourself."

Harry sort of wanted to keep arguing, but then Remus said, "it really is tradition that we don't tell you. It's a secret, so that no new students can be thinking of it ahead of time." Harry finally nodded his acceptance and let it go.

 **The boy** **said** **he's positive he will be a Slytherin, all his** **family was. He stated** **that he'd be so ashamed if he ended up somewhere** **else. Like if he landed** **in Hufflepuff he'd leave the school.**

"I am liking this kid less and less," James said frowning. Sure he was loyal to his own house, and would admit to being a bit biased towards Slytherin for personal reasons, but he knew deep down that he would love whatever house his son wound up in.

**Harry had nothing articulate to say to that. Then the blonde boy notices Hagrid outside of the shop holding two ice-cream cones, which is why he hadn't come in. The boy exclaims who that is.**

"Well at least he went and did something nice for Harry," Lily said smiling.

"Assuming those aren't both for him," Sirius quipped.

 **Harry's pleased to finally contribute something to the conversation and infor** **med** **him who that was and his job at the school, and the boy scathingly repl** **ied** **how he's heard of him, he was some sort of servant.**

"No," all five said at once severely.

 **Harry cor** **rected** **him at once as saying he was the gamekeeper, his opinion of the boy dropping every second.**

"Thank Merlin," Sirius agreed, "I'd hate for him to be Harry's first friend."

Harry was beginning to feel his head start to pound again, the longer this conversation went on, the more he felt like he knew this boy. However, it was nothing good, so he said nothing and let the reading continue.

 **The boy hardly acknowled** **ged** **the correction, going on to say how he's heard he gets drunk all the time and attempts to do magic and ends up setting his house on fire. Harry coldly retorts how he thinks he's brilliant.**

"Thank you for defending him," Remus said smiling, seeing a bit of both his parents there, neither would have stood for someone insulting their friend.

**The other sneers at him asking why that was, and asking why his own parents aren't with him. Harry truthfully answered that they're dead.**

James stuttered a bit at reading this, it didn't seem to be getting any easier the more he said it, but quickly pushed on.

**The boy says he's sorry, without sounding very sorry at all.**

"Great," Sirius snarled, "he escapes one Dudley only to find another the same day."

"I'm hoping they won't have much to do with each other," Lily said quickly.

**He goes on to ask if they were 'our kind.' Harry answered back that they were a witch and wizard.**

"That's not exactly what he meant," Lily said sadly.

"But Harry's answer is perfectly correct," James said hotly.

**The blond boy says he doesn't think the school should let the 'other kind' in.**

"Well that cinches it," Sirius sneered, "he's a pureblood, bigot."

"A what?" Harry asked curiously, not understanding such a violent reaction.

Sirius tried to explain as best he could, "There are different 'types' of wizards if you will, though there's really no difference when you get down to it. By this boy's attitude, I'd wager anything he's a pureblood, which means both of his parents have wizard parents and they were both pureblood wizards etcetera. Then there's muggle-born, which is what he's referring to when he says 'the other sort' and that's a witch or wizard who comes from a muggle family, with no witch or wizard blood immediately traceable."

"Like me," Lily put in quietly for Harry, as Sirius finished.

"Then there's half-blood, which is a muggle parent and a wizard."

"Which is what I am," Remus input, "my mother was a muggle."

Sirius nodded before finishing, "a lot of pure-blood wizards think they're better than the lot because of well, their pure blood statutes. Which is bogus, and-"

"It's alright Sirius," James cut in, when it became obvious his best friend was about to go into a full blown tangent, casting Harry a sideways look he summarized, "and this boy seems like the first kind."

Harry nodded in understanding, and decided against asking what had upset Sirius so much, saving that for later. He also refrained from asking what that would technically make him, if his mother was a muggle born but his dad was obviously a pureblood, would that make him a half blood or three quarters or... He let the matter go and decided against asking because he decided he didn't care one way or the other, he just wanted to know more which he decided he'd learn as this continued.

 **Saying how they just weren't the same, and weren't brought up in 'our' ways.** **He thought** **they should keep the school only in the old wizarding families.**

"That would make attendance at school, like twenty, tops," Lily balked, "if they went by that."

"Then it's thankful they don't do that," James consoled.

 **Then he ask** **ed** **for Harry's last name.**

"Don't tell him," they all said at once.

"He'll just throw himself at you, pretending and junk," Sirius grumbled in disgust.

"Can't do anything about it now though," Harry reminded them, smiling slightly.

James quickly read on, wanting to know.

 **But before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin** **declared Harry was** **done.**

"Thank Merlin," James breathed.

"Why was Harry done before him?" Lily asked curiously, "the other boy was already getting his done when Harry walked in."

"Maybe he's getting something special done to them," Sirius offered.

 **H** **arry is more than happy to stop talking to the boy, and** **began** **to walk away, only for the blond boy to call out that he hoped to see him at school.**

"Hopefully not," the others all muttered. Harry declined to mention that he had a bad feeling that, yes in fact he would.

 **Harry remained quiet once he rejoined Hagrid, and when Hagrid a** **sked** **why, Harry lied and told** **him it was** **nothing.**

All four frowned at this, wishing for what like the hundredth time that Harry had someone to open up to.

 **Once they trav** **eled** **through a few shops** **, Harry decided** **to ask him what Quidditch is.**

"Don't even," Lily said.

James gave her a pout before muttering, "I wasn't going to."

 **Hagrid** **was** **at first shocked to hear Harry** **hadn't** **heard of it, and Harry mutters that just made him feel worse.** **He decides then to tell** **Hagrid about the conversation he'd had with the other boy. He finished at the end with how the boy had said muggles shouldn't even be allowed in. Hagrid corrects him at once, saying Harry wasn't from a muggle family, and points out to him that Lily was one of the best witches there was and look what she had for a sister!**

"I think that was a backwards compliment," Sirius snickered.

"But true all the same," Lily agreed, smiling at the flattery.

 **Harry re** **peated** **his question of what Quidditch** **was** **, and Hagrid s** **aid** **it's a wizard sport, like soccer from the muggle world.**

"I'm impressed Hagrid knows what that is," Remus approved.

 **He explained that it was** **played up in the air on brooms and that there are four balls, but the rules were kind of hard to explain.**

"No they're not," Sirius huffed under his breath, though had the sense to keep his mouth shut this time.

 **Then Harry a** **sked** **what Slytherin and Hufflepuff are, and Hagrid expla** **ined** **the concept of the four school houses, beginning to say that most people say Hufflepuffs are the worst, and Harry cuts him off to say he thinks he'll be in that house.**

"It wouldn't matter to us if you were," Lily said at once.

"And there's nothing wrong with Hufflepuff," James finished what he was sure Hagrid was fixing to say.

 **Hagrid** **huffed and said** **that Hufflepuff would still be better than Slytherin** **. Since** **it was the house known for turning out the worst and darkest of the wizards, rumour had it that You-Know-Who was one himself.**

"Really?" Harry asked the room.

They all exchanged looks before Lily answered sadly, "That's a stereotype dear, all the houses have one. Not everyone in Slytherin is awful-" she stuttered off for a moment, looking pained before pressing on, "but the bit about Voldemort is true, at least as far as rumors go."

"Considering no one really knows anything about Voldemort, including his school years, or even if that's supposed to be a real name, yeah it's sadly just a rumor," Sirius agreed. Harry nodded to himself sadly, again feeling that awful ache of where an answer was supposed to be, but as with every other time, forced to let it go.

 **Harry** **was** **shocked to hear** **this and asked if** **You-Know-Who went to Hogwarts, and Hagrid confirm** **ed** **that yes, but years ago.**

"If no one knows anything about Voldemort," Harry asks, feeling a funny little feeling at saying that name for the first time but quickly brushing past it, "how does Hagrid know that?"

"As Voldemort was trying to conquer this part of the world," Remus offered, "most assume he went to Hogwarts. After all if he came from say Australia, why would he be here?" Harry nodded in understanding and let the matter go.

**They went inside a bookshop next, where there were all sorts of interesting books, including ones as small as stamps.**

"Why would you buy books that small?" Sirius asked.

"It's a joke," Lily told him, "you're supposed to use an engorgement charm on it to make it bigger, and then learn about shrinking spells in it." Sirius just shook his head but kept going.

James did butt in this time by asking, "What are stamps?"

"Something Muggles have to put on their mail so it'll go through their postal system, they're really tiny like the size of your thumb," Harry happily explained, finding it pleasant he was getting to explain something back to his father for once.

**Some of the books didn't have anything in them at all.**

When Sirius opened his mouth Remus quickly jumped in with, "same basic principle as the last book."

"It's still dumb," Sirius huffed.

"You think all books are dumb," Lily snapped.

"Not this one," he defended at once, unable to think any book about his pup was dumb.

 **Harry begins looking through a book on curses, but Hagrid drags him away. Harry tries to protest,** **saying he wanted** **to curse Dudley.**

"Do not blame you," Remus agreed.

 **H** **agrid po** **inted** **out to him that he's not supposed to use magic in the muggle** **world and** **he won't have the ability to do that quite yet.**

"Sad but true," Sirius sighed.

**Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either, pointing out that it said pewter on his list.**

"Thank you Hagrid," Lily agreed, "since a lot of potions can react to the material they're being brewed in, even some first year potions. It would be irresponsible for anybody to let their child do that."

"I'm sure the potion teacher wouldn't let them," James smirked, remembering Slughorn's reaction when he tried the same thing.

 **Then they went to an apothecary where Hagrid got Harry some basic potion** **supplies.**

"You know I never thought about that," Sirius cocked his head to the side, "but how would muggles know to do that? If Hagrid hadn't been there, I mean that's not on the school list."

"We're allowed to use the school's cupboards until we mail for our own," Lily grumbled, having mentioned this several times too many teachers, but nothing had ever been done about it.

 **They went to se** **veral other shops after that, until finally they reached the last thing on Harry's list, a wand. Before they headed there though, Hagrid** **declared** **he hadn't gotten Harry a birthday present yet.**

"I can't thank Hagrid enough," James vowed.

 **Harry goes red with embarrassment** **and began** **to mutter Hagrid didn't have to do that.**

"That's the point of birthdays Harry," Sirius said in an almost stern voice, angry enough that he had to actually explain this, "you do deserve it."

"Ten times over," Remus muttered, giving the baby in his lap a little tickle to his tummy.

**Hagrid scoffs and says he'd buy Harry his pet, and decides to get him an owl.**

"Aw," Lily cooed, "Hagrid is the sweetest."

 **When they exit that** **shop** **, Harry is now the proud owner of a snowy white owl, her head currently tucked up under her wing as she slept.**

"That's fascinating," Remus beamed, "though a little flamboyant."

"It's the one I would have picked" James agreed.

Lily frowned, worrying her lip a bit, not wanting to think of how the Dursley's were going to react when Harry was forced to go to them with an owl. Petunia hated animals. Hopefully the fear of Hagrid would loom over them enough they wouldn't say anything. This thought didn't seem to have crossed any of the boy's minds as they kept going.

**Harry was stuttering out his thanks about as effectively as Quirrell would have.**

Lily brightened up at once at her boy showing some proper manners.

 **Hagrid** **was** **getting a little embarrassed himself, saying he didn't mind, and mentio** **ned** **he didn't think the Dursleys gave Harry many good presents so he deserved it.**

Now they all frowned at this, suddenly wondering just how much Hagrid knew about what the Dursleys had done to Harry. Harry quickly jumped in, "I've never asked, but Hagrid doesn't know much. I really don't know for sure," he trailed off and James sighed in defeat before forcefully pressing on.

 **Then** **said** **they just** **had** **Ollivanders place left, so that Harry could get his wand. Harry** **was** **instantly excited again, a magic wand was what he'd been looking forward to the most.**

"I don't blame you on that one," Lily chuckled weakly, slightly bringing the mood back around.

 **They come across a small shop near the end, where the title of the store is embossed in gold, and a wand** **was lying** **on a pillow in the window.**

"Whose wand is that?" Harry asked curiously.

"Rumor has it that it's supposed to be Merlin's," James said in a mysterious tone of voice.

"But that's just a rumor," Remus said smiling.

 **When they e** **ntered** **the shop** **they saw that it was piled** **high with boxes scattered every which way, and the hair on the back of Harry's neck** **began** **to stand on end, as if he can just feel the magic in the air.**

James beamed with pride at that, "that shows that you're very aware of magic in the area. Highly useful skill that."

 **Hagrid** **sat** **down on a little chair to the side, and when a quiet voices greets them from the shadows he** **jumped** **so hard the chair collapses beneath him.**

"I'm impressed it held his weight to begin with," Sirius snickered.

**The old man greets Harry formally, stating that Harry looked very much like his father, but had his mother's eyes. Then he describes his mother's wand, ending with how it was good for charms.**

Lily smiled as she fingered her wand lovingly.

**Harry notices how little he blinks, and can't help but find the man slightly creepy.**

"He has that effect on people," Sirius agreed with a slight shiver.

"I always thought he did it on purpose," Remus chuckled, "he likes to leave an impression."

 **He then** **describes his father's wand in the same fashion, ending with how powerful it could be in transfiguration.**

"Came in handy for that to," James agreed with an obvious wink at Remus, who just smiled indulgently at that.

 **Then he spots the scar on Harry's forehead and tou** **ched** **it.**

All four adults huffed a bit at that, Lily even muttering, "that's going a bit far now."

 **He stated who he** **sold that wand to, and how very sorry he was to see the damage it wrought.**

All four of them balked at that, stunned to learn that Ollivander knew Voldemort's real identity. "Do you think Dumbledore knows about that?" James asked.

"Oh I'm sure he does," Remus said at once.

 **Then he s** **potted** **Hagrid and goes through the same treatment of describing his wand, but noting at the end how it was snapped. Hagrid shuffles his feet with unease and admits they did this indeed, but he still kept the pieces.**

Remus snorted with laughter, "now why would he admit to something like that?"

"Why shouldn't he?" James asked, lips twitching, "It's not like he could still be using them of course."

"Oh of course not," Sirius agreed, fighting back laughter.

 **Mr. Ollivander asked Hagrid if he still used them, and Hagrid quickly** **said** **of course not, while clutching his umbrella.**

At this all three boys finally broke and cracked up laughing a bit, while Lily simply shook her head in fondness.

 **Ollivander turned his attention back to Harry and asks him which** **was his wand arm** **and Harry responds he's right handed. Then the old man begins measuring Harry from shoulder to finger, and so on all around his body.**

"Why though?" Sirius asked, still chuckling slightly. "Exactly what does the length of knee to armpit have to do with wands?"

"It's a magical item," Remus reminded him, "after the first measurement, it kind of just wanders off with a mind of its own, and Ollivander lets it while he thinks."

**While he measured he continued informing Harry about wands, stating what magical cores he used.**

"I once met a chap who had tried to use centaur hair," James laughed, "now that had some disastrous problems."

Sirius was snickering as he said, "remember that time when someone tried to use a mermaid scale as a core. That wand flooded the whole floor." After a bit more laughter, James finally went back to his reading.

 **Then he** **got** **down to business and handed Harry a wand, but he'd hardly held it when it was taken back. Then he handed Harry a different wand, with the same results.**

"Wow," Lily said in surprise, "he got mine on the second try."

"Got mine on the first," James and Sirius both said laughing.

"It took him five tries to get mine," Remus remembered.

 **He tried several, but none seemed to** **gain** **Ollivanders acceptance, but the more he tossed aside, the more excited he seemed to become.**

"Wow," they all said in surprise this time, while James carried on, "I don't think he's ever had this much trouble before."

"Yes well, just like all professionals in a field, at least he's enjoying the challenge," Remus said, still smiling.

 **Finally Harry was handed one of** **H** **olly wood with a** **phoenix feather** **core, and** **Harry felt the warmth spread through his fingers once he grasped it** **.**

"There you have it," Lily cried with joy.

"You know they say the type of wood you get says something about your personality," Sirius said, smiling a bit.

"I don't put much stock into wandlore," James waved him off before he could keep going.

 **While Mr. Ollivander took the wand back and began** **wrapp** **ing it up for Harry to take, he kept muttering over and over how curious this was.**

"Why's that so curious?" Remus asked, just as bewildered.

"Why do you do that?" Sirius demanded, "None of us knows the answer."

"It's called a curious nature Sirius," Remus replied back a bit snippy.

**Harry's curiosity wins out, and he asks why's that so curious. Mr. Ollivander explains that he remembers every single wand he's ever sold, and the phoenix whose tail feather resides in Harry's wand only gave one other feather, the brother of which ended up in You-Know-Who's wand.**

Despite the shock they all felt at hearing this, they were far more concerned at Harry's reaction.

As James read this out, Harry gasped in pain, suddenly clutching his skull as if it were about to burst in two. "Harry dear," Lily said at once, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

James quickly put the book aside and leaned down, trying to look his son in the face, as he was now doubled over and pressing his face to his knees. Sirius got wearily to his feet, heading towards the kitchen he called "I'm going to-" but quickly cut himself off when Harry muttered something.

"What's that dear?" Lily asked in as calming a voice as she could manage.

Finally looking up, and blinking several times as if coming out of a trance he gasped, "I knew that. But there's more, there's something really important about that, argh-" he cut himself off and clutched his head again.

Getting off the couch and leaning in front of him James said in a stern voice, "Harry, stop trying to strain yourself. Memory charms are some of the trickiest there is, and your memory's will only come back with time. Trying to force them back like this could cause you serious harm, so quite fighting it."

Still panting slightly, Harry nodded and bit by bit relaxed until he could finally look up again and look around at all of them, upon seeing the concern and fear etched into their pale faces he muttered, "Sorry."

After a short stunned pause Sirius burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, while looking pityingly at his pup, "Just what are you apologizing for? Giving us a heart attack? I'm sure there will be plenty more where that came from."

Still looking slightly abashed, Harry nodded and leaned back against the couch again, rubbing his temple in agitation but not looking in quite as much pain now. The four adults exchanged uneasy looks, but Remus finally said, "suppose we can go on yeah? You all right with that Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry said quickly, wanting to deflect the attention off of him.

As James got up and picked the book back up and began flipping pages to find his place. Sirius made his way causally over to the love seat, sprawling himself out on it, and being much more able to keep an eye out from this angle. While they all deeply wanted to discuss what they'd just learned, Harry still looked so out of it they were far more concerned at keeping him away from this topic for a while.

 **Ollivander half prais** **ed** **that dark wand, saying it had done terrible things, but** **great** **powerful things all the same. He fini** **shed** **by saying he expects great things from Harry.**

"Great and terrible," Sirius grumbled, "yeah, that about covers it."

**They exit Diagon Alley altogether and stop for a bite to eat before Harry gets on a train. Harry's now looking around in awe, thinking how strange it all looks now.**

"By product of switching from muggle to magical," Lily agreed, "the transition is a bit weird."

 **Hagrid** **asked Harry if he was alright once again** **, stating how** **quiet** **he** **was.**

"Well that was quite the bombshell," James deflected for his boy, still a bit in shock over both the news, which he hadn't even had a chance to fully think about, and his son's severe reaction to said news.

 **Harry confessed how uneasy this trip made him, how everyone seems to expect such great things from him because** **of what Vol- then correc** **ted** **himself saying what You-Know-Who did to him.**

"How come you keep accidentally slipping on the Voldemort thing then?" Remus asked.

"It's his natural genes," Sirius said proudly, "no one in this family is afraid to say his name."

Harry chuckled slightly at this, but was honestly unable to answer. He'd always felt from the very beginning that it was silly to call him You-Know-Who, but for some reason couldn't put it into words then, or now.

**Hagrid reassured him, saying Harry would learn his way fast enough, but knows Harry will do fine in school, exclaiming he still had a great time there.**

All of the adults smiled at this, trying to push away for good that feeling of loss they had at not being there for him, and instead being so happy that Hagrid had said the perfect thing to him.

 **Hagrid helped Harry onto the train that would take him back to the** **Dursleys and** **then handed him an envelope.**

"What?" Lily yelped in shock.

"He's not going back with you?" James said in disappointment.

All of them were dreading what kind of reunion Harry would get when he showed back up on Private Drive alone. "Don't worry," Harry comforted at once. "They didn't do anything awful, they were too afraid of Hagrid." He stopped and chuckled briefly as he did remember that reunion. He had walked from his stop and come through the doorway with his stuff, and Uncle Vernon had stopped him at the door and demanded to know if the man was still with him. When Harry had told him no, but he had given him the owl to keep in touch, he had gone very pale white indeed, and simply stuttered that he should go to his room now. After telling them this, they relaxed a bit, though all majorly disappointed Harry had to go back at all.

**It had his ticket to get to Hogwarts, stating the train would leave on the first of September, at King's Cross station. If he had any problems with the Dursleys, write him a letter using his new owl, she'd know what to do. Harry boarded the train and tries to watch Hagrid through the crowd, but he blinks and he's disappeared.**

"How do you think he managed that?" Sirius asked, "He can't apparate."

"Magic," Remus said in a goofy, mystical voice.

"Maybe he's had a Portkey this whole time to get back to school," Lily shrugged.*

"That's the chapter over," James announced, offering the book to Harry. "Would you like to read now?"

Harry took it eagerly, bypassing the question of what a Portkey was in favor of wanting more than anything to get his memories of such a wondrous school back.

* * *

*At least, that's the only thing I've been able to come up with after all these years. Let me know how you think he did it.


	7. THE JOURNEY FROM PLATFORM NINE AND THREE QUARTERS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaack! So infinitely sorry for such a horrible delay on this fic, but I've finally found a way to keep these chapters up that is one hundred percent officially allowed! Hope you all enjoy!

The longer this went on, the more Harry felt right. He knew these people around him, and he knew the things that were coming. He also knew that, they weren't all good things, but after that first chapter, he decided that knowing was still better than nothing.

This chapter in particular was going to be special, of that he was sure. His guardians were speculating all sorts of things from the house he'd be in to the friends he'd make, and even his first trip on the train. It made a warm feeling settle deep within him, and he was eager to read on.

**Harry's last month with the Dursleys wasn't fun.**

"What, why?" Lily and James both yelped, fearing that the Dursleys really had punished Harry for Hagrid's act.

"Relax," Harry said at once, "they mostly just ignored me. That was kind of boring so yeah, not fun."

Remus was shaking his head and saying, "come on now Harry. Was it ever fun there, really?"

Harry fidgeted a bit, knowing full well that all present wanted to have a full on talk with him about his life at the Dursley's, but he wanted very much to avoid that at all costs. It was in the past, there was no need to keep bringing it up, so he quickly pressed on.

**The good part was that Dudley was now so terrified of Harry he wouldn't be in the same room as him, and Vernon and Petunia now out right feared shutting Harry away in his cupboard, or to shout at him, or in fact speak to him at all.**

Lily sniffed in disdain, "I suppose that is the vaguest form of improvement."

"Better than the alternative," Sirius muttered darkly.

**Therein lay the bad part. Harry was more actively ignored now more than ever before, and this isolation became downright depressing after a while.**

"I can see that," Remus agreed sadly.

**Harry kept to his room with his owl, choosing to name her Hedwig,**

"Oh, that's adorable," Lily beamed, Harry smiled sadly to himself, happy that another piece of him felt right again, but for some odd reason the sad feeling lingered. He didn't really want to dwell on why.

**a name he had found in one of his textbooks about the history of magic. He found his books fascinating.**

"Don't even," Lily said at once, when it looked like Sirius was about to make a snide comment at that, "imagine you knew nothing of the magical world. Harry logically chose the History of Magic as a basis of understanding this."

Sirius grumbled under his breath for a bit, but Harry knew better then to ask about what.

**He lay up at all hours going through them, letting Hedwig swoop in and out of his room to her heart's content. It was a good thing Petunia didn't come in to clean anymore, because the owl kept bringing back dead animals.**

"Ew," Lily crinkled up her nose, "no wonder my mother never wanted us to have an owl."

"Oh mine was awful about that," Sirius laughed, "always left them right on the kitchen table. Kreacher's spent most of his life chasing Buggle out of the cupboards."

Harry winced slightly, recognizing something in that sentence, but after a moment it faded away again, too vague to even form a feeling about it. Sighing in annoyance, he kept going.

**Harry also set up a calendar, which the date of his departure was marked, and every night he ticked off another day in anticipation.**

Sad as this was, none of them could really blame Harry for this.

**The day before he was supposed to leave, he went downstairs to talk to the Dursleys about getting to King's Cross station.**

"Leaving it a bit late there," Lily worried.

"Probably so he doesn't have time to reconsider," James huffed.

**When he got into the living room, he found all three of them watching a quiz show on their TV.**

"Bet you a galleon none of them could answer a single question," Sirius snickered.

**When he cleared his throat to announce his presence, Dudley screamed in terror and ran from the room.**

All four boys laughed a bit at that, hoping that one never got old.

**Harry calls for Vernon, who merely grunts in response. Harry voices that he needs to get to the train station tomorrow, and he grunts again. Harry asks if they'll take him, and receives another grunt. Harry assumes that means yes.**

"What if it meant no?" Lily worried at once. "How would you get there?"

"The knight bus," Remus offered.

"He doesn't know how to use that," Sirius frowned, "and he didn't get a broom either."

"Hagrid," James said with high confidence, "if the Dursley's don't take him, Hagrid will be back that very night, I'm positive."

Feeling relaxed again, Lily asked Harry to keep going.

**Harry thanks him**

"Really, I want to know where he learned manners," Lily smiled sadly, knowing it didn't come from those people.

"School I suppose," Remus said thoughtfully.

**and was about to turn and leave again when Vernon actually speaks, making the comment that the train was quite an odd way for wizards to travel, and then makes a joke about not having any magic carpets available.**

"Oh that's really clever," James muttered, more than sick of this man's supposed sense of humour.

**Harry doesn't respond, and Vernon asks where the school is.**

"Why does he want to know?" Remus demanded.

"So he can safely know how far away the evil wizards are from him," Sirius huffed.

**Harry admits he doesn't know, his ticket didn't say the location, only the platform number he was to be on; nine and three-quarters. Petunia and Vernon stare at him for a moment, before the demand of which platform appears.**

"Who said that?" Lily asked. "Vernon or Petunia?"

"Uncle Vernon," Harry said cautiously, Lily had a very peeved look on her face. She ground her teeth for a moment, but waved Harry on.

**Harry repeats the odd number, and Vernon tells him what rubbish that is, that doesn't exist. Harry insists it's on his ticket, and Vernon huffs and says they'll take him up there, but only because they have business up there as well.**

"Can't just say one decent thing to him can you?" James groaned.

**Harry seems determined to keep things friendly by asking what that was.**

"Why!" Remus half demanded, not really expecting a good answer.

"I'd had no conversation for nearly a month," Harry defended.

**Vernon tells him they were going to a hospital to get rid of Dudley's tail before he went to school.**

"Pity that," Sirius laughed darkly.

"I do wonder how they explained that away though?" Lily said, a bit vindictive herself.

"I think they told them it was a mole that had grown out of hand or something," Harry said.

**Harry woke very early the morning of his departure, and was far too nervous to go back to sleep. He dressed in normal clothes, deciding he'd change into his robes on the train.**

"Honestly, the robes would have been better than the garbage they say you had," Lily huffed.

**He checked his school list again, made sure Hedwig was shut away, and then paced his room nervously until the rest of the Dursleys were up and around. Petunia had to talk Dudley into sitting in the backseat with Harry, and then they were off.**

"The one good thing that's come of this so far," Sirius laughed, "Dudley won't ever hit you again, that's for sure."

Harry nodded absentmindedly, touched a spot on the side of his head without seeming to realize he'd done it, and then pressed on.

**When they got to the station, Vernon went and found Harry a cart and put his trunk on it for him and began wheeling it to the station.**

"Nicest thing he's ever done for him I'm sure," Remus snarled quietly, while baby Harry began to doze in his arms.

**Harry found this strangely kind, but realized his intentions when they reached Harry's desired platform. Vernon pointed out that there was a nine, and a ten, but Harry's just didn't seem to be there.**

"Oh the joys of magic," Sirius said, thinking of all the other things hidden right under muggles.

**Laughing cruelly he went back out to the car and Harry watched the three Dursleys laugh as they pull away.**

"I wish you were joking," Lily said, going red in the face.

"You are joking right," James demanded, leaning over Harry to see for himself.

"They are so lucky that you're in the right place or I'd-" Sirius muttered darkly for a moment, but Remus must have heard what he said because he laughed and gave an approving nod.

"But, Petunia knows where the platform is," Lily hissed, which was almost unmanageable through the gritted teeth. "Couldn't she have simply walked him in, pointed him through for all its worth, and be done with it?"

Harry was thinking privately to himself, he was quite glad his Aunt and Uncle hadn't done this. Not sure why, but he knew if he kept going he would find out, so he kept reading, despite they were all still grumbling death threats.

**Harry found a guard and asked for directions, but the man was no help at all, and seemed to think Harry was being stupid on purpose.**

"In a way, you kind of are," Sirius forced a laugh, which sounded almost hollow, "cause even if you could have told him, it's better that you shouldn't."

Harry was still frowning though as he asked, "How come there's not some wizard around who noticed me and helped? I can't be the only one who doesn't know how this works if it's not on my ticket."

"That's because Hagrid forgot dear," Lily sighed. "Most Muggleborns who would be in that same situation and are helped through the introductory process, such as their first time to Diagon Alley and such, well their guid remembers to tell them this trick."

Harry sighed as well, but couldn't find it in himself to blame Hagrid for this, as it was probably his first time doing this role. He doubted he was a common help in this situation, and Harry probably just got special treatment because of his name.

**The guard walked away, and Harry began to feel a little panicky. He only had ten minutes left to find out where his train was.**

Lily and James were both shifting in real fear now, what would happen to their boy if he was left in the train station like that?

Remus on the other hand was quick to point out, "Relax, all of you. There's always a late party, I'm sure Harry will spot a wizarding family and follow them through."

Sirius nodded quickly, saying, "Yeah, remember that one year I was so late, I had to hop aboard as it was pulling off."

**Harry realized there must be something Hagrid hadn't told him, and wondered whether he should pull out his wand and begin tapping on the bricks in between platforms nine and ten.**

"That might have worked," Lily said making a face, "your wand would pass through the barrier, and you would have figured it out."

"But it is rather dangerous," James disagreed, "pulling your wand out in front of the lot of muggles like that."

"Let's just read eh?" Remus put in when it looked like the two were about to start a real argument over this simple fact.

**Then his luck took a spin, and he heard from behind himself a voice say the word Muggles.**

"You see," Sirius said, brightening at once, "never doubt Moony. I learned that a long time ago."

The parents relaxed at once, egging Harry on.

**Harry turned on the spot and saw a family all with bright red hair, pushing trunks his way, and one of them had an owl. Harry hurried after them, and stopped a polite distance away, though close enough he could still hear. The mother of the group asks for the platform number.**

"Why would she ask?" James asked, "it never changes, and there's no other wizarding trains."

"A reminder I suppose?" Remus offered, having no real idea himself.

**The youngest child, a little girl, replies with the correct number, and asks her mother why she couldn't be going as well.**

"Ah there you go," Sirius said, "she probably said that every year, so in case one of her children got lost they would know to ask someone about it."

"But we've already established that Muggles don't know about the platform, so who would she ask in a station full of them?" Lily asked.

"Another wizard," James offered, "like what's happening now."

**The mother refers to the girl as Ginny,**

For the briefest moment as Harry first said that name, his ring seemed to have a warm glow on his finger, but his sudden urge to understand the connection made it fade so quickly he had no time to dwell on why.

**and tells her she isn't old enough, then instructs a boy named Percy to go first.**

Harry gasped, the book nearly slipping out of his hand.

"Harry dear?" Lily asked at once.

Harry didn't answer, because he knew this. Knew these names, this memory. This was the good feeling he'd had at the beginning of the chapter. He read on so quickly that the words were almost unintelligible.

**Harry tries to watch as the eldest redhead goes forward, but at that moment a crowd passed in front of him and he missed what happened.  
The woman was still talking, instructing a boy named Fred to go next. The boy replies that he's not Fred, he's George.**

"Harry slow down, your slurring," James said, concern colouring his tone, Harry's hands were starting to shake a bit.

"I know this," he told them quickly, without looking up, "I need to know why I know this."

**Not Fred laughs at his mother and exclaims that she can't tell the two apart. The mother apologizes, but then he tells her he is indeed Fred, before running off.**

"I always wanted a twin," Sirius laughed to himself, "just so I could pull that one joke."

Harry didn't even respond, because somehow he just knew that there was going to be one more name, and it was important to him.

**The twin calls after his brother to hurry up, and he must have, because when Harry can properly see again, both are gone. Harry decides there's nothing left to lose, and comes forward. The woman spots him and greets him politely, asking if he was a first timer at Hogwarts to, then introduces him to her last son Ron.**

The book slipped from his grasp, and Harry was suddenly clutching his head in pain all over again. Having almost expected this, after the way he'd been acting, Sirius lunged from the couch and was rummaging through the kitchen cupboards almost before the book had hit the ground.

He came back into the room to see both parents trying to calm him back down, while Remus was pulling out his wand with one hand and trying to lay down the baby as gently as possible without waking him.

Trying to be gentle himself as he slightly pushed Lily out of the way, Sirius pushed Harry back against the sofa, pried open his jaw, and put the smallest bit of some foul smelling green liquid on Harry's tongue.

The boy reacted almost at once, relaxing back against the sofa, his eyes opening in a lazy haze, while James punched Sirius in the shoulder, hard.

"Ouch, what the bloody hell was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the spot, and putting the vile down on the table gently.

"What did you do?" Lily demanded, putting her hand on Harry's forehead in concern. "We agreed no potions, no spells, he's already having enough troubles Sirius."

Remus reached forward and snagged the bottle up, then quickly cut in before Sirius could give a snappy reply, "calm down you two, Sirius just gave him something to relax. James was right, he's going to hurt himself if he keeps straining like that, but this wasn't anything that will affect his mind. Just his body."

James immediately looked apologetic for punching his best friend, that hard anyways. "You could have explained that."

They didn't have time for anymore conversation, as Harry was already coming around. Shaking himself slightly, his eyes instantly came into focus on Sirius, then the rest of them, then frowned and began rubbing his head at once.

"Don't." All four said together.

"But I-" Harry tried, but Lily said quickly, taking his hand away, "Harry dear, please. We know this must be so frustrating to you, but if we can't go and punish those Dursley's for what they've done for you, then you must promise us you won't sit here and strain yourself to remember these things. It will come back, I am positive it will."

Green met green for a long time, Lily's wide and pleading, Harry's sad and desperate. Finally he nodded his consent, but when Lily merely tightened her hold on his hand he let out a huge breath and said, now looking around at all of them, "Alright, alright I promise. No more pushing it."

"Thank you." James sighed, leaning back out of his son's personal space, "I promise son, we will get through this."

Lily still kept a light hold on his hand for a brief moment more, but then Harry gently took his own hand back and reached down for the dropped book.

Sirius and Remus both got up to head back to their seats, but Remus stopped him and said, "Here," while handing the baby to him and said, "might stop you from jumping around every five seconds."

Remus then took the bottle back and went to put it back where it belonged. By the time he came back, Sirius was sprawled back out, with the baby sleeping on his chest, and Harry was ready to start again.

Taking his seat, Remus vowed to keep a much closer eye on him now. He believed Harry's promise, but he knew better than anyone that sometimes you couldn't help your nature, and Harry clearly had a very curious nature. He may not even be able to help himself next time.

"I do know him though," Harry huffed to himself, then shook his head and began again.

**The boy was tall with lots of freckles.**

He only winced for the briefest moment, but kept his promise and did not press on the feelings that were swarming in him again.

**Harry agrees he is, and admits he doesn't know how to get onto the platform. The woman tells him not to worry at once, and explains that Harry merely has to go through the barriers of nine and ten. He shouldn't stop, or be scared, or he may crash. If he's to nervous, he should take it at a run, and then instructs him to go now before Ron does.**

"That was very kind of her," Lily said sadly, her concern for Harry more prominent now than the feeling of loss she now had.

**Harry thanks her, and pushes his trolley around to face the barrier. He notes how very solid it looks, but begins taking a few steps forward. Fear begins building up in him, and his brain is insisting he's going to crash.**

"Nah," Sirius chuckled slightly, "no magical person has ever been barred entrance."

**Just as Harry breaks into a full run, he's passing through, and suddenly laying eyes on this new world.**

Pride swelled up in all four of them, finally this was it. Harry was back where he belonged, and away from those Dursley's.

**The train itself was scarlet, and all around him were kids unpacking luggage onto it. He overhears snatches of all sorts of conversations, including one from a boy who's saying to his gran how he's lost his toad. The old woman sighs 'oh Neville.'**

"Oh," Lily said brightly, "remember James, Alice and Frank had a boy named Neville. I kept saying we should bring Harry 'round there. They're practically the same age."

James nodded, smiling to himself, but privately thinking this couldn't be the same boy. Alice and Frank would have been mentioned, and they wouldn't have missed Neville's first train ride to Hogwarts anymore then if he and Lily had been alive to see Harry there.

**The next group he passes by are boys slightly older then him, all gathered around a box. One of his friends is insisting they have a look inside, and Harry notices a hairy leg poking out.**

"Someone got a new pet spider it seems," Remus chuckled to himself.

**Harry keeps going until he finds an empty compartment, and loads Hedwig up first before struggling with his heavy trunk. He tries lifting it several times and only manages to drop it on his foot.**

"That happened to me," Remus said sadly, "I was limping for half the day."

Sirius and James again winced at the harsh reminder that they weren't there, that no one was there, to help him.

**One of the red headed twins from before spots him and asks if Harry needs help. Harry agrees he does, and the twin must have been George, because he calls over Fred, and the three of them manage to lift Harry's trunk and put it away.**

"That was so sweet," Lily beamed again.

"Are you going to be like that this whole chapter?" Sirius asked, still feeling rather grumpy.

"Yeah Lily," James defended Sirius, "it's not so weird that students help each other out."

Lily frowned severely at the pair, couldn't she just be happy that someone was finally taking the time to help her boy.

**Harry brushes some of his hair back as he thanks them, and one of the twins notices Harry's scar. At once he demands if to know if Harry was-, but his twin cuts him off and says that of course he is, then turns to Harry and agrees he is, isn't he?**

"Well that was descriptive," Remus chuckled.

**Harry asks what, and they speak in unison Harry's full name. Harry agrees he is, and the two can't help but gawk at him for a moment while Harry starts to blush**

"Oh not this again," all four adults groaned.

"I really don't want another Leaky Cauldron scene," James sighed, placing his face in his hands, "except this time with the whole bleeding platform."

"Better get used to it now," Sirius grumbled bitterly, "he's going to be dealing with it at least the first week he's at school."

"Well in that case, I'm hoping he'd be in Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw," Remus sighed, "at least those two houses are more likely to show a bit of decorum."

"And you were the one who said not to believe the house stereotypes," Lily reminded him, while privately agreeing.

Remus spluttered for a moment, but Harry decided it was time to keep going.

**but to Harry's relief their mother's voice calls for them.**

All four adults muttered a silent thank you to whoever that was.

**The twins exit the compartment with one more curious look back. Harry takes a seat where he can see the family interacting.**

Lily sighed, wanting to reprimand, but unable to when it occurred to her that this was most likely the first time Harry had ever seen a real family interaction.

The other three were just slightly happy that this was a good omen to Harry being the next Marauder Junior. Not even at Hogwarts and already being a bit sneaky.

**The mother of the group takes notice of the youngest, telling him he's got dirt on his nose. She grabs a handkerchief and tries to clean it, but Ron wiggles free.**

"That poor kid," James said sadly, "no mother should do that in public."

"She's got at least four others, you would think she'd know better," Sirius agreed, "no mothering in front of the piers."

**The twins begin picking on him at once, using a baby voice to mimic their mother in saying Ron's got something on his nose.**

"Well his siblings are no help," Lily muttered.

**The mother then asks where the eldest boy had gone, but he shows up then with a badge inscribed with a P on it.**

"And here's the newest generation of Prefect's," Sirius said in disgust.

"Come on now Sirius you can't still be holding a grudge can you?" Remus asked, feigning hurt.

"You bet your arse I can," Sirius grumbled, without any real heat in it. After all when two of your best friends were Prefect and Head Boy, you couldn't stay mad forever.

**He tells her he can't stay long, that the prefects have two compartments to themselves.**

"Well he's not starting off very well," Lily said, "rubbing that in a bit."

"Just showing off to his siblings or friends I'm sure," James grinned, throwing a look at his two friends, who both rolled their eyes at this.

**The twins turn their jokes on their other brother, making the snide comments they had no idea Percy was a prefect. Oh wait, yes they did, he'd been saying it all summer.**

"Yeah okay," James finally conceded, "I wasn't that bad."

"Neither was I," Remus agreed. There was being proud of an accomplishment, and then there was just being vain.

"Honestly Moony," Sirius chuckled, "you looked like you were going to faint when you told us. So you were kind of the opposite of this lad."

Harry blinked, dearly wanting to ask what all the fuss about this Prefect badge was, but he also had that feeling again. One that meant something really important was about to happen, so he decided that he would simply take his answers from the book on this one.

**One of the twins asks his mother why Percy got new robes that semester, and his mother coos that it's because he's a prefect.**

"That's favoritism," Lily said, now frowning a bit severely, "and she really shouldn't let them bicker like that. It could cause tension between siblings."

"Agreed," Sirius said, mostly to himself, but the others all heard it anyways.

Harry quirked a brow, this being the first mention of Sirius having siblings, but since his persona, and the looks from the others, made it quite plain he didn't want to discuss this he let it go for now.

**She requests Percy send her an owl when they arrive at school, and he departs. Then she turns her attention back on the twins and warns them not to be getting into trouble, don't even blow up a toilet.**

"Oh," Lily said, rolling her eyes a bit, "I get it."

"Get what?" James asked, not seeing any meaning in what Harry had just read.

"She was being affectionate to Percy, rewarding his good behavior. I'll bet anything those two are as troublesome as you four."

"Us, troublesome?" Remus said, feigning innocence.

"Whatever do you mean dear?" James demanded, trying to hide a twitching smile.

"I'm not even going to bother," Sirius laughed, and then went on, "and she's doing a horrible job of it mind you. Never, ever, give a prankster ideas. Even just in passing comments. Keep going Harry, you'll see what I mean," he finished, when he saw Lily and Harry's confused looks.

**One boy exclaims that they've never done such a thing, while his twin follows up with what a great idea that was.**

"That's what I meant," he laughed again, a bit harder this time, and the baby on his chest curled up to him more tightly, he placed a hand on his back, and just waved Harry on when it looked like Lily might argue the point.

**She ignores the jokes and tells them to look after Ron. The twins ignore that just as well by changing the subject to the fact that they'd just seen _the_ Harry Potter. Harry hears the youngest girl squeal in delight and beg her mother to be let on the train to go and see him.**

Lily frowned severely, but sadly all the same. Despite wanting to protect her boy, could she really blame the wizarding world for wanting to meet, in their definition anyways, a savior? Still, she was really hoping this mother wouldn't allow this.

**The mother scolds her, telling her the boy's not something to be gawked at. Then she asks her son how he knew.**

"Thank you to her," James said what they were all thinking.

**The twins say how they saw his scar, and one voices the question of whether Harry remembers what You-Know-Who looks like. The mother turns on him and snaps she forbids the twins from asking.**

"I'll second that thank you," Remus agreed, not that Harry did anyways, but it was the thought that counted.

**Just then the whistle sounded on the train, and the mother loads them all up. While they all hop aboard their little sister begins crying, and one twin decides to comfort her by saying they'd send her a Hogwarts toilet seat.**

"Very sweet those twins," Sirius laughed.

**Harry watches the two girls disappear, then houses begin flashing by, and he feels a huge jump in excitement. He didn't know where he was heading, but it must be better than what he was leaving.**

"Anything's better than what you're leaving," James grumbled, but finally shook of the last vestiges of hatred for that place, for now. Harry was finally heading to school, with any luck he'd never be sent back to those Dursley's again. Though that still didn't excuse them from punishment.

**Not moments later the youngest redhead makes another appearance, sliding Harry's door open and asking if he can sit with Harry, stating everywhere else is full.**

"Why do I somehow doubt that?" Sirius chuckled.

**Harry quickly invites him in, and Ron takes a seat opposite Harry, and can't help but look to his forehead. Then he quickly looks away before Harry could notice. Before either could say anything, the twins were back.**

Harry sighed in annoyance, this had gone on long enough that he had been hoping to learn this Ron's last name. He knew for a fact that the moment he heard it, he was going to receive another painful jolt. This boy, Ron, he had a very good feeling about him though, so he couldn't wait for it this time.

**The twins tell Ron where they'd be, then formally introduce themselves to Harry as Weasley's.**

Harry yelped as if being electrified, but true to his promise, he did not pry open that pain. He simply took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes to see the four of them looking at him with deep concern. Quick to explain he said, "I knew that. I know the Weasleys. Ron Weasley. We are friends." He said this with such conviction, that he didn't care if he had the memories to back this up. It was true, and nothing could change his mind.

Lily beamed, and wrapped an arm around him, "I'm so happy dear."

"I'm sure he's very worried about you," James said, also smiling at this. After all, he'd met his best friend on his first train ride as well. They were still best friends to this day, he had no doubts that Harry's friendship would last as well.

"I think I know the Weasleys," Sirius said, mostly to himself, "Molly and Arthur Weasley, yeah sounds familiar."

"Cousins then?" Remus asked, feeling as happy as the rest of them that Harry finally had a friend, someone he could really count on.

"Think so," Sirius said, trying to drag up old memories that he had tried very hard to get rid of over the years. "Weasley is an old pureblood family, and unlike most lines they prospered after the dark ages. Got a ton of lines that are still pure and traceable, but they're also well known for having survived through relations with muggles. I think that's how they stayed so many lines. They get a lot of flak for it though, which is probably why I never met them. Being muggle sympathizers and all."

"I think I met a Molly Weasley once," James said slowly. "The Prewett twins in the Order, I met them at Diagon Alley once, and they introduced me to their sister Molly. She had just recently gotten married then, after all this was a few years ago."

"Well she's clearly been busy then," Remus chuckled, thinking that five kids was more than enough work to put up with.

Harry beamed around at them all, happy that he was finally getting somewhere. He also knew that, there was something else though. Or someone else. He had another feeling that he was going to meet someone else really important on this train ride, and he asked if it was alright for him to continue.

**Then they leave. Ron blurts out if Harry's really _the_ Harry Potter.**

"Subtle," James chuckled.

**Harry just nods, and Ron admits he thought it was one of Fred and George's jokes.**

"I hope Harry gets to know the twins really well," Sirius laughed, "I'd love to see what the next generation of pranksters puts this school through."

Lily sighed, hoping the exact opposite.

**Ron asks if Harry really does have a scar, and Harry shows it. Ron exclaims that was really where You-Know-Who had tried to kill Harry, and he agrees, admitting he doesn't remember anything about it. At Ron's prompting though, Harry admits he may recall green light.**

Lily huffed in real annoyance now, "his mother specifically told him not to ask that."

"And you always did exactly what your mother told you to do eh?" Remus asked her knowingly.

Lily wanted to mutter that this was different, but had no real way to.

"Besides," Sirius scoffed, "technically, she only forbade the twins from doing that. She didn't direct that at Ron."

Lily gave him the stank eye for that, his ability to find the vaguest of loopholes to throw in the teachers faces had always annoyed her, but didn't argue the point for now either.

**Ron stares in awe for a few more moments before he seemed to realize what he was doing and quickly looked back out the window. Harry found Ron fascinating though, and asks if all of his family are wizards.**

"Fair enough that," James said.

**Ron agrees most of them are, except some accountant on his mum's side no one talks to.**

Sirius spotted Lily pursing up her lips tight in her urge not to say something about that, but Sirius fielded her anyways. "Don't automatically blame the magical side of the family for that part, it's not uncommon for them to want to be left out and alone." He admittedly didn't know the Weasley's well, but for a reputation of blood traitors, it made sense to him.

Lily let the expression go.

**Harry says he must know a ton of magic already.**

"Not necessarily," Sirius stretched carefully, "just because you have magical parents doesn't mean you get to skip to second year."

**Harry remembers the blond boy from the shop, how he'd mentioned old wizarding families, and decides these Weasleys must be one of those.**

"Not the best example, but you're not wrong," Remus agreed.

**Ron asks about the Muggles Harry lives with, and Harry just says they're awful, though not all muggles are. Then Harry expresses the wish he had three elder siblings.**

"At least you acknowledge they're horrible," they all agreed, hoping Harry would tell a teacher this before the year was up.

**Ron corrects him, saying five.**

"Five," Remus spluttered.

"So she has seven kids?" Sirius demanded.

Lily looked a little pale and in shock. She loved her son, but without the help of her boys, she would have gone stir crazy taking care of him. The idea of six more children was unbelievable.

James smiled sadly to himself, saying, "I don't blame them really. I always wanted siblings. They help build character, and I told you Lily, I do want more kids."

Lily looked at him like he'd grown a second head, "Yes, but seven!"

Still smiling James said, "maybe not that many." Then he frowned and winced slightly as he realized, he probably wasn't going to have any more kids.

Remus caught on to this, and said quite loudly, "Yes well, I don't see how it's our business how many kids they had, so let's press on then."

Harry nodded and kept going.

**Ron is decidedly upset about this topic, explaining how he's the sixth to go to Hogwarts. How two of his elder brothers had already left, but one was head boy, and the other was a Quidditch captain. Now his brother Percy was a prefect. Fred and George were really popular and still got good grades, and he fears that his family expects him to do just as well, but he knows if he does it won't matter, because one of the others had already done it.**

"That's just sad," Lily said frowning.

"Okay, so I can see a downside to that many kids," James agreed, "but you have to give them all special attention."

"We are not having seven kids Potter," Lily said, rounding on him, "so drop that idea."

Harry was finding this more amusing as time went on, briefly thinking about the idea of siblings, but decided to keep going.

**He continues explaining how he always got hand me downs as well, having gotten one's old robes, ones old wand, and Percy's rat.**

Harry felt a hiss of air escape him as another sharp stab plagued him, this one not nearly as pleasant as the last, but already having suffered enough from something in his memories today he refused to take notice of it as the others commentary continued, this time without seeming to notice him.

"Why would he have his brother's wand?" Sirius demanded, "his brother didn't die or something did he?"

"I doubt he would have said it in such a blasé way if he had," Remus said, frowning in thought, "but perhaps his brother had to get a new one for some reason, and gave that one to his brother."

"What would require a new wand though?" Harry asked.

All four sat there, genuinely stumped at this, so James finally told Harry to just keep going.

**Ron then pulled out an old grey rat, which was asleep.**

"Now I really wish Peter was here," Sirius cackled, "Harry's best friend owns a pet rat. Oh I could take the mickey out of Peter for ages for this."

"I'm sure he'll turn up here eventually," Lily sighed, already getting a headache from that endless joke.

**Saying his name's Scabbers, and how all he does is sleep. Percy got a new owl because he was made a prefect, and begins to say that they couldn't aff- then cuts himself off and just mutters that he got Scabbers.**

"That's sad," Lily sighed.

"But sometimes that's how it works," Remus muttered, poking a finger through a hole in his robes.

**Ron blushed then, seeming to think he'd confided too much, and went back to staring at the window. Harry however didn't think there was anything wrong with hand-me-downs. He told Ron all about how the Dursleys hardly ever acknowledged his birthday, and he was lucky he even got such rotten presents, which seemed to cheer Ron up**

Lily frowned, but Remus was quick to say, "Look at this from Ron's point of view. Harry's just identifying with him, no need to be angry at the boy."

Lily sat back, still frowning slightly, but now wishing Harry would tell Ron everything that had happened, Ron wouldn't feel better then. She, however, doubted that he had, if his attitude today showed anything.

**and finished with telling him he'd only just learned about the magical world through Hagrid. He hadn't a clue about Voldemort- Ron gasps cutting Harry off. Harry asks what's wrong, and Ron splutters that Harry said You-Know-Who's name! Ron thought that Harry of all people wouldn't do that.**

"The poor kids," Sirius chuckled, "being afraid of something as silly as a name."

Lily frowned at him this time and said, "It's the meaning in the name Sirius. They're afraid of what it stands for and-"

"Lily," James sighed, "what on earth are you telling Sirius this for?"

She deflated at once, even muttered a quick apology before Harry went on.

**Harry quickly says he wasn't trying to be brave by saying that name, he just didn't know you shouldn't.**

"Hagrid didn't make it seem that way?" Remus asked, slightly amused.

Harry simply shrugged and said, "Hagrid was the first wizard I ever met, I thought he just didn't like saying it. Not all wizards."

**Going on to worry out loud about how he had loads to learn, and how he thought he'd be the worst in the class.**

"Highly, highly doubt that," they all said at once, while James continued on, "Harry, you've shown tremendous skill already, without any proper training. No I am sure you will be just as good as everyone else, probably better really."

Harry gave them all smiles, wondering if they were just saying that to make him feel better, but then deciding he didn't care if they were. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him.

**Ron reassures him, saying Harry wasn't the only person from a Muggle family, but they all learned fast enough.**

"You don't say," Sirius laughed, throwing a sideways look at the muggleborn in the room.

**While talking the scenery outside is going a bit wilder, and the boys seemed to run out of topics for a moment as they lapse into silence. The quiet is broken when the door slides open and a woman pops her head in to ask if they'd like anything to eat. Harry hadn't had breakfast, and gets up to see what she's got. Ron mutters something about how he brought food, and Harry goes into the corridor.**

"My favorite part of the train ride," Sirius stated, "getting hyped on as much sweets as I wanted."

**Harry first asks for a muggle sweet, but the woman doesn't have anything Harry recognizes.**

"It's too bad they don't carry muggle sweets," Remus sighed, "I could go for one of those every now and then."

**The descriptions cover all sorts of the magically named sweets that Harry had never heard of.**

"A genuine pity that," James sighed, licking his lips slightly, "since all of it is delicious."

At Harry's confused look upon reading most of these, Lily said, "I think Sirius still has some Liquorice Wands about, you can have some later if you'd like?"

Harry smiled and agreed at once, while Sirius didn't even begrudge Lily offering up his candy. He'd share anything with his pup.

**Not wanting to miss a thing, Harry gets some of everything, managing to spend eleven Sickles.**

"That's nothing," Remus laughed, "our last train ride seventh year, the four of us actually managed to spend seven galleons worth of food before we came back to the station."

"Yes I remember," Lily agreed, "I was worried I was going to have to scrape you lot off the ceiling you were so hyper by the end."

**Harry comes back in with his arms loaded and dumps the pile onto an empty seat. Ron has pulled out a couple of sandwiches, muttering how his mother always forgets he doesn't like corned beef.**

Remus winced at that saying in sympathy, "can you blame the poor woman, having to make all of those lunches for them."

**Harry offers up one of his candies in trade, and Ron tries to deny, but Harry insists, since he'd never had much to share before, or anyone to share it with.**

"I can't decide if that's the nicest thing, or the saddest," James said frowning.

"The first," Lily said quickly, not wanting such a good mood to go down again.

**Harry was thoroughly enjoying himself as they went through the packages, while the sandwiches lay forgotten.**

"No love loss there," Sirius agreed.

**While digging through, Harry comes across something labelled Chocolate Frogs. Harry uneasily asks if they're real frogs?**

"Well," Sirius drawled out.

"Don't even," Lily said at once.

"I wasn't going to Lily," he quickly backed down, "I was only going to tell him that they are, you know, most of the time."

"In other words," Remus grumbled, rubbing his stomach in remembrance, "don't take any sweets from Sirius if you've recently denied him access to your homework."

"I fixed you up in the end," Sirius cackled.

By this time Harry was laughing so hard, the book nearly fell out of his grip again. He loved watching this family, his family, joke around with each other.

**Ron tells him no, but it's the prize inside Harry will be wanting, and that he was missing someone called Agrippa.**

"I own every card there is, that one's really common now," James said with pride, it was one of his proudest achievements, until a little baby came along that is.

"You do know they distribute new cards every year," Remus reminded him, "so by Harry's year, you won't have."

"No why would you say something like that Remus," James said, looking genuinely hurt, "now how am I supposed to keep up with that?"

"I'm sure you'll have no problems keeping up dear," Lily said in exasperation.

**Harry asks what that means, and Ron tells Harry how the Chocolate Frogs contain famous wizard cards, and lists some that he's missing like Ptolemy.**

"Ptolemy's new," Sirius said, as James still looked a bit downcast. He'd come to the awful conclusion that he had died back in the first chapter, but it was the little things like this that were still a shock to him. Sirius understood this, and tried his best to cheer his mate up, "make sure you remember that and keep an eye out for it yeah?"

"Yeah, sure," James said, perking up almost instantly.

Interested Harry asked, "Why would Agrippa be common now, and rare then?"

"Supply and demand," James offered, "in say what, eleven years from now, they'll have more cards, but not redistributed as many. So if they stopped making as many of them, it becomes rare."

Harry nodded along, rather intrigued, and privately wondering if he had a collection back home, the one he couldn't remember. One his father might be proud of?

**Very curious now, Harry unwraps his own frog and finds the card for Albus Dumbledore.**

"That one is super rare right now," James said eagerly, "it just came out this year."

Lily rolled her eyes, but Harry smiled, fascinated to see his father so excited about something.

**While Harry exclaims his excitement, Ron asks if he can have a few frogs, hoping to get some of the ones he's missing. Harry happily hands some over while he reads the back of his own. The card details about Dumbledore's life, including his position as headmaster of Hogwarts,**

All of the adults beamed, glad that in Harry's ten years growing up Dumbledore hadn't left Hogwarts. They would have been genuinely concerned for the school if he had.

**and some achievements he's done, such as helping a Nicolas Flamel with alchemy.**

When Harry was done reading that, he at first didn't understand why Remus and Sirius suddenly busted out laughing, until he glanced over at his dad again, and saw he was grinning in triumph.

Lily told him, "your father was mouthing along with you as you read that, proving he'd already memorized that card."

Harry then chuckled slightly, he loved watching them interact so much that he hardly noticed the flutter something on that card caused him, before moving on.

**Then Harry flips the card back around, to see the image of Dumbledore gone. When Harry asks, Ron just laughs and says Harry shouldn't be surprised, and then notes the card he got, Morgana which he already had, offering it to Harry to start collecting.**

"That one's old," James commented, "practically an antique."

"Really James, are you going to comment on all of them?" Lily demanded.

"Probably," he grinned, "for Harry's benefit after all."

Lily was unable to argue with that logic.

**Ron's eyes linger on the pile of unopened frogs, and Harry tells him to help himself, then explains to Ron that in muggle pictures, the people don't move. Ron seems to find this just as weird as Harry found the pictures moving.**

"It is a bit odd," James agreed, "I still don't understand why they don't get bored."

Remus and Lily shook their heads at the ceiling, both having tried to explain that concept to James, and it still being lost on him.

**Harry spends some time on his journey looking at all of the new cards, including Hengist of Woodcroft**

"Another new one," James said in excitement.

**Alberic Grunnion,**

"Oh I've got two of him."

**Circe,**

"Only one of her, she's a bit rare."

**Paracelsus,**

"Like, eleven of him."

**and Merlin.**

"I think everybody has fifty of him, since there's one in every ten frogs."

"Really James, are you quite done?" Lily demanded, his silliness getting a bit out of hand.

"That depends, are there any more frog cards Harry?" James asked in excitement.

"No," Harry told him, just as disappointed as he seemed to be, "at least not listed, oh hang on there's one more," he said, looking back down at the page and reading quickly.

**Harry looks away from one called Cliodna**

"Another new one," he cried eagerly, making to get up and go fetch a quill to write these all down.

"James really," Lily huffed, "the books aren't going anywhere, and I want to see Harry get to school. You can write them down later."

"Oh fine," he huffed, slumping back down.

**and instead turns his attention to another candy called Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Ron warned Harry he should be careful with those, because of all the exotic flavors you could get. His brother George swears he got a booger flavored one.**

"I got candle wax once," Sirius said, thinking back.

"Worst one I ever got was strawberry," Remus laughed.

"Yeah, yeah Moony, we all know your uncanny ability to never actually pick a bad bean," James grumbled.

"One time he ate a whole bleeding box without making a face once," Sirius agreed with a humph. "I didn't even know that was possible."

**Ron picks up one bean and bites it carefully, then gags and states that it's sprout flavored. Harry tries several flavors and gets quite a variety.**

"Depending on how you like curry, and sardine, you got almost all of them as good," Remus approved.

"I've never heard of a grass one," Sirius said.

"Really, you lot are dragging on about this sweet thing far too much," Lily said in exasperation.

None of the boys looked the least bit repentant.

**The fields outside were now getting wilder in shape, turning into forest. Then there was a knock on the door and a boy poked his head in, asking if they'd seen a toad.**

"Poor dear, lost his pet on the first day," Lily said in sympathy.

"Remember Harold's cat. That thing snuck into every room in our dorm, except its own!" Sirius laughed.

**Both boys say they haven't and the toadless boy wails how he's lost him. Harry tries to reassure him, saying he was sure it would turn up somewhere. The boy nods sadly and leaves. Ron makes the comment that he probably would have lost a toad on purpose, but he has Scabbers, so he can't say too much.**

"That wasn't very nice," Lily huffed, "pets are important to their people."

"Oh he's just joshing," James said, "I'll bet you anything he's plenty fond of that rat."

**Both boys look down at the sleeping rat in Ron's lap. Ron grumbles that all he ever does is sleep again, he could have died and no one would have noticed*. His brother gave him a spell to turn him yellow, to make him more interesting.**

Remus looked surprised as he said, "you don't learn color changing charms until the end of first year. I'm not that surprised he couldn't pull it off."

"Well there are those exceptional students who can do stuff before their time," James said with quite a bit of vanity.

**He turns and digs up his wand, noticing something coming out of one end. He mutters how the unicorn hair is poking out**

"That's it," Sirius said in excitement, "that's probably why his brother had to get a new one. I'm betting if he worked with say, live animals, it's against regulation for a wand to have its core compromised. Too dangerous to work with the animals that way. Charlie probably had to get a brand new wand, so Ron got his."

"That was very insightful," Lily said in surprise.

"Though pointless if he doesn't work with animals," James said with a sly grin.

"You just wait," Sirius said, firing up at once, though still remaining absolutely still so as not to disturb the baby now sleeping heavily on him, "I am right."

**before raising his wand and beginning before he's cut off by the toadless boy returning, with a girl this time.**

Harry frowned, and his hands began to shake again. 'Your promise' he quickly reminded himself, even as the jabbing pain returned. Sucking in a deep breath he said to the others, "It's happening again. I know this, I know what's about to happen-" then he paused, and winced before continuing, "-but then I don't. Urgh, I don't know, but I should and-"

Lily placed her hand on his again, then said quietly, "don't force it love. Just keep reading, it'll come naturally."

Harry nodded, sucked in a deep breath, then quickly read on.

**She spoke briskly to pair, asking if either of them had seen Neville's toad.**

Harry winced again, harder this time, but quickly tried to keep going.

"That boy was just in there, why didn't he tell her he'd asked them?" Sirius rolled his eyes.

Harry had the distinct feeling this was the type of girl who would want to check for herself, getting a rather bossy feel for her the longer he thought on this girl. He didn't say that aloud though, since he felt it would come out wrong about someone he was so sure of as a friend.

**Ron repeats that they haven't seen it, but the girl takes no notice and sees Ron's wand in hand, and declares she wanted to see him do magic, before taking a seat. Ron is rather startled-**

"I don't blame him," Sirius agreed, "who'd want to be put on the spot like that?"

**Then Ron really does begin his rhyming enchantment.**

All four adults blinked once in shock before bursting out laughing. Sirius even laughed so hard that the baby began stirring on his chest. Quickly controlling himself, he managed to come to first and explained to Harry's confused look, "that's not how spells work pup. Not at all. Someone lied to him."

James wiped a tear out of his eye before continuing, "Honestly, has he never seen his parents, or any of his older siblings do magic?"

"Yes well, I think it's his own fault," Remus gasped, still rubbing his ribs, "we've already established those twins were troublemakers. It's his own fault if he listened to them and took that spell seriously."

Sirius quickly opened his mouth, and before any of the others could tell him to stop he blurted out, "I take everything seriously."

Harry looked over at him for a moment, before he began laughing as hard as the other adults just had. The other three just groaned, having heard that joke more than enough in their life. Honestly, it was a bloody miracle they'd made it this far without Sirius bringing that up again.

Finally, when they were all calm again, Harry finally managed to continue, still eager to read about this new girl. He just knew he knew her.

**When he was done, nothing happened, and Scabbers was as grey as ever. The girl states that she doesn't think that's a real spell, they were nothing like the ones she'd done, and they'd all worked.**

"Wait, wait, back up," Lily quirked a brow, "how was she doing spells and they worked without her getting in trouble?"

Harry puzzled on whether he'd ever asked her this, but James quickly waved her off and said, "she obviously means on the train Lily, probably before Neville came to find her and ask for her help. Don't take everything so literally."

**Going on to say how she was muggle born, and that she'd taken the initiative to learn all of her course books by heart,**

"What?" Remus spluttered.

"She can't mean that," Lily said, smiling indulgently, "there's coming prepared, and then there's just over achieving to the extreme."

"I'm pretty sure she's serious," Harry agreed, following his gut feeling on that one.

Sirius opened his mouth again, but James quickly cut him off, "alright Sirius, you got to do it once for Harry, but you are not making that crack every time."

Sirius huffed, and muttered, "you're just jealous you can't have your own running gag."

Lily twitched, looking like she dearly wanted to hex him, as that wasn't really an 'okay I'll stop' but with her son on his chest, she was a bit constrained.

**and worries out loud how she hopes it will be enough to get by.**

"Oh I'm sure that will be quite enough," James agreed.

**She finishes off the whole thing by finally introducing herself as Hermione Granger.**

Harry yelped again as if he'd just been electrified, the book falling out of his hand again. However at the concerned looks crossing all of their faces, Harry quickly reassured, "I know, no pushing it. But I was right, I do know her. We're friends too, just like me and Ron are, I'm positive of it."

Lily smiled before saying, "That's lovely dear, I hope we get to meet them then."

Harry went to pick his book back up, which let him not see the looks all three boys were now exchanging. That had been quite the reaction, perhaps Harry was a little more than friends with this girl.

**Harry glanced over at Ron and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all of the course books by heart either.**

"No one has," Sirius agreed, "not even Remus was ever that bad."

"Thanks, I think," he muttered.

**When the boys introduce themselves, Hermione, like everyone else, does a double take at Harry's name, and then begins spouting off all kinds of books that he's been in.**

"Guess I'm not surprised," Lily said, with some real interest.

James grimaced, as if he'd just been punched in the gut all over again. He'd always wanted to be famous, but not like this. Certainly not at the cost of his own son being shoved into this role. What a twist of irony.

**Harry just asks if she means it, feeling a bit dazed by learning that.**

"Don't blame you there one bit," Remus agreed.

**She exclaims her surprise that Harry didn't know this, then moves on to talk about the houses she's read about. Noting that Gryffindor sounded like the best, that Dumbledore himself was in it.**

"Which is true," Sirius said at once.

"Don't be biased Sirius, you said you'd outgrown that," Lily frowned at him.

"Some things never fade," he said in a tragic type of voice.

"What house were you lot in?" Harry asked curiously, realizing they'd never told him when he asked earlier.

"Gryffindor," they all said together.

James quickly jumped in, when he saw the look on Harry's face, "but we don't care what house you're in. No matter what, we just hope you're happy."

"Even with Slytherin or Hufflepuff?" Harry asked, eyeing Sirius warily.

Sirius snorted, looking genuinely offended the kid had to ask, "but of course, you'd be the bloody best Slytherin I ever met. Plus I dated a Hufflepuff for three years, yeah they're just as much fun."

Harry beamed at him, causing a warmth to build up in Sirius. He hadn't realized how much that had been bothering the kid.

**Then admits to herself how Ravenclaw wouldn't be a bad choice either. Then she states how they should continue looking for Neville's toad, and the two leave as abruptly as she entered.**

Harry frowned a bit now, he had thought there was something else that had happened on this train ride. Just an odd sort of feeling, maybe he had it wrong.

**Ron grumbles that whatever house he's in, he hopes that girl wasn't in it.**

For some reason that made Harry want to laugh, like he had a feeling Ron would regret saying that someday, but he repressed even the thought of saying it as his head still hurt slightly from the last thing he'd remembered to soon.

**Then he puts his wand away and grumbles that George had been the one to give him that spell, and probably did it as a joke.**

"Well then that's just a bit of his own fault," Remus chuckled. "If Ron hasn't cottoned on by now that he shouldn't be taking them too literally, then I can't say I pity him much."

"Blind faith in your siblings I suppose," Sirius said absentmindedly.

**Harry decides to change the subject, instead asking what house Ron's brothers were in. This wasn't helping at all, as Ron just got gloomier while answering Gryffindor, also stating that his mom and dad had been as well. He was rather afraid what they'd all say if he wasn't, but acknowledged Ravenclaw wouldn't be as bad, still better than Slytherin.**

"Those stereotypes clearly haven't gotten any better over the years," James laughed.

**Harry tells him that he'd heard that was the house You-Know-Who had been in. Ron doesn't seem very enthused, so Harry tries another tactic by stating he thought Scabbers' whiskers looked brighter in color. Then he decided to take Ron's mind off of houses and instead asked what his older brothers did, wondering what kind of careers wizards could have.**

"Oh tons of things," Lily said, eyes brightening at once.

"Now Lily," James said sternly.

Sirius continued for him, just as stern, "if we can't educate him on Quidditch, there's no way we're going to let you go on for an hour about every job you'd like to have."

Lily frowned at the pair, but conceded now wasn't the best time to go into excruciating details.

Forestalling her Harry said, "it's okay, you can tell me later."

**Ron tells him that the one named Charlie was studying dragons,**

"Ha!" Sirius cried, throwing one arm up in the air in triumph, while admittedly, his cry of triumph wasn't nearly as loud as normal. He didn't want to wake baby Harry after all, "didn't I tell you."

"Yes fine," James conceded.

**that the other was Bill, who was in Africa for Gringotts.**

"You see Remus, Africa. You really want to travel that far," James said sadly.

Remus chose to say nothing, feeling now wasn't the time for this conversation either.

**Speaking of Gringotts, Ron asks if Harry had heard about the break in.**

"Now who was suicidal enough to do that?" Lily demanded.

**Harry asks what happened,**

"Got turned into a crispy critter most likely," Sirius said absently, really with all the treasure down there, he wasn't too surprised.

**and Ron explains that nothing did, that was the weird part.**

"Really," they all said in surprise, now this was unheard of.

"That must be driving the Goblins crazy," Remus murmured.

**The person who did it hadn't been caught. Ron's dad said it must have been a powerful Dark wizard to have done it, it takes a huge amount of skill to pull something like this off. Of course everyone else was terrified it was You-Know-Who back again.**

"Oh I'm sure it's not," James said at once, seeing Lily go pail, "no, I'm sure it's nothing. Probably something Ron just wanted to talk about to change the subject."

Lily nodded, and slightly relaxed, but none of them really believed this. Ron was right, it would take some real Dark magic to pull off a stunt like this.

Harry was turning all of this over in his mind, feeling like there was some sort of significance to this tale, but having no way to know what.

**Harry thought about that for a while, feeling a prickle of fear beginning to come up in him at the mention of You-Know-Who.**

"A prickle is how it starts," Remus agreed sadly.

**Thinking to himself that he'd been a lot more comfortable saying Voldemort.**

"I don't see why they can't now," James asked, "Voldemort's been dead for eleven years. You'd think that old superstition would die."

Lily rolled her eyes to the ceiling, contemplating the pros and cons of explaining, again, what just wouldn't sink into these boys' minds. Yes they were brave, sometimes idiotically so, and yes they feared Voldemort as much as any proper wizard did. What they didn't understand was that calling him You-Know-Who was sort of like a coping mechanism.

Finally, as Harry decided to keep going, she decided against it.

**Ron switches topics again by asking Harry what his Quidditch team was. Harry confesses his lack of knowledge on the subject, and Ron goes into all sorts of details about the sport that Hagrid hadn't.**

"Wish you would have gone into more detail," Sirius said enviously.

"I'm just happy someone is explaining this all properly to him," James said with glee, watching Harry's face as he slowly nodded to himself as Ron's details came rushing back to him now.

**Ron was taking Harry through some details of the game when the door opened again.**

"Whoever it is, I'm automatically annoyed," Sirius sniffed, "they interrupted Harry's very important Quidditch education."

"I'm pretty sure that's the first, and last time you've ever said important and education in the same sentence," Remus told him.

**Three boys entered, and Harry recognized the middle one as the pale boy he'd spoken to in Diagon Alley. He was now looking at Harry with a whole new light of recognition.**

"Well he clearly knows who you are now," Lily said sadly.

"Let's see how much his attitude changed," James grumbled.

**He demands to know if he's really Harry Potter, and Harry agrees he is, while looking at the boy's two companions. They were clearly physically stronger then he or Ron, and were on either side of the blond kid, almost like bodyguards. The boy introduces them as Crabbe and Goyle, and finishes with saying his own name was Draco Malfoy.**

"Great, yeah. I was right, I hate him," Sirius snarled.

Harry on the other hand, was having another of his more painful reactions. However, the more often this happened, the more easily he could discipline his mind, almost as if he'd had practice with it. He schooled himself, so that the pain he was feeling at such sharp memories trying to force their way into the foreground, faded and became as blocked as before. After only a few brief moments of electrifying pain, he eased back, though with a frown on his face this time.

"That's not a good look," Remus observed, "though I'm quite proud that you seem to be getting a handle on this memory bogging issue, normally when it happens it's been something good. You trusted Hagrid, then Ron, now this new girl. Is it safe to say you're not good friends with the Malfoy boy then?"

"Very safe to assume," Harry assured, feeling pain, anger, and several other emotions cropping up just at the mention of his name.

"Well I'm glad to hear it," James said at once. "The Malfoy's are known Voldemort supporter. At least among the Order. I don't like to judge a child, but if he's anything like his father..." he trailed off with a muttered curse.

Lily frowned sternly at her husband and said, "Now James-"

But Sirius and Remus were quick to back up their friend, giving her quite a bit of evidence. After a bit of mulling over, Lily finally nodded and said, "yes alright. I'm glad as well, here's hoping Harry sticks with Ron then."

"I'm positive I will," Harry sighed, wishing he could do more then go on a feeling, but pressing on all the same.

**Ron tried to muffle his laughter with a cough, which wasn't very successful since Malfoy turned his attention on him instead and snarked that he could tell who he was. His father had told him all about how the Weasleys had red hair, and more children than they could afford.**

All five people in the room frowned, as if they needed evidence to back up Harry's bad feelings, which they didn't, here it was right out of the boy's mouth.

**He dismissively turns his attention back to Harry, stating that Harry shouldn't be making friends with his kind, that some families were much better off, and then offers Harry his own hand, which he doesn't take.**

"Very good instincts then," James approved.

"He's just insulted my new, and first friend," Harry agreed, "I didn't like him much at all." 'And the feelings only get worse' he mentally added on, but declined mentioning that in case he was wrong.

**Harry calmly replies back that he can tell the wrong sort for himself.**

"And snippy as his mother," Sirius chuckled.

**Malfoy is clearly displeased, since his next action is to insult Harry's parents for making the same choice.**

"Oi!" They all hooted in indignation.

"Honestly, is Harry the only boy around with manners then?" Lily demanded.

**Saying they didn't know what was good for them either. If Harry continued hanging out with nobody's like the Weasleys and Hagrid, he'd go the same way as them.**

"Why that little-" James muttered, his fists clenching up at once as if he were suddenly eleven years old again, and Severus had just insulted his pureblood status.

"While he is in the wrong," Lily said at once, as they had all stiffened up slightly, "I don't really think fighting it out is the answer."

"Says the girl who once set a cat after a certain Slytherin girl who called her a two timer after she started going out with a certain Potter?" Sirius asked casually.

"A cat that you had transfigured from that girl's hat I might add," Remus smiled.

Lily went a bit red about the ears, and declined further comment.

**Both Harry and Ron stood up. Ron snaps at him to shut up, and Malfoy just laughs, asking if they were really going to pick a fight. Harry agrees they will if they don't get out, though with less confidence than he would have liked, after again taking in the sizes of Crabbe and Goyle.**

"I'm sure you can still take them," James said with confidence, "you've probably got a bit of practice taking down bigger blokes from Dudley. Plus Malfoy should be no problem, I'll bet you anything that pampered git hasn't had a fight in his life."

Harry cleared his throat softly and said, "erm no, at least to the part about Dudley. I've never actually tried fighting back at him, he is a lot bigger than me, and if I'd won, I'd have only been punished for it."

James deflated at once, and Harry quickly hurried on before he could ask anything else, "but you're probably right about Malfoy. He seems the type."

For some odd reason, this didn't actually make James feel better, but he let Harry keep reading to see what would happen.

**Malfoy merely sneers, and makes the comment he was starting to feel a little comfy here, noting Harry's still lingering pile of sweets. Goyle reaches for one, and Ron leaps forward hands stretched, but before he even touched him, Goyle leaps back with a howl.**

"Accidental magic you suppose?" Remus asked.

Sirius rolled his eyes, once again avoiding the temptation to point out that none of them actually knew the answer to that.

**Scabbers was hanging off his finger, his teeth sunk into Goyle's knuckle.**

"Alright!" all four boys cheered.

"Now I really, really wish Peter were here for that," James cackled.

"Oh yes, why didn't we ever think of that," Sirius agreed, holding the baby to his chest to stop himself from rolling around in laughter.

Even Remus was cracking up at this, deciding those boys had just learned a valuable lesson about food that wasn't theirs.

**The other two quickly exited into the corridor, and after shaking his hand to free himself of Scabbers, who slammed against the window, all three of them disappeared.**

Now all the boys were frowning, a might concerned. They didn't want the little guy to get hurt after achieving that kind of victory.

**Maybe they feared more rats were hiding in the sweets, or perhaps they heard approaching footsteps, because the next person to come in was Hermione Granger again, demanding to know what was going on with all the yelling. Ron goes over to his pet and picks him up, worrying that he's been knocked out, and then realizes he just decided to go back to sleep.**

This caused a fresh round of laughter from them all, even Lily giggled a bit at this.

James was leaning back into the couch, which was clearly the only thing keeping him upright, as he said, "Oh man, getting back at those nitwits, and going right back to take a nap. This rat has it good."

Harry jolted, feeling another shock strike him. Why though? He hadn't thought much of Ron's rat, why would he? Yet at his father's words, he felt a sense of wronged, like this rat should not have any kind of good life. Why though? After all, Harry had no doubts that his feelings about Ron being his best friend were completely true, why would he wish ill will on his pet.

Perhaps Scabbers had once bitten him, and he was harboring a grudge? This must be it, so he decided not to press on the matter too much.

**Ron asks if Harry had met Malfoy before, and Harry explained about the meeting at the robe shop. Ron tells him about how he'd heard of the Malfoy's, how they'd claimed to have been bewitched to do the terrible things they'd done, and that they were one of the first to come back to the good side.**

"Not surprised on that front," Sirius muttered darkly.

**Hermione tells them they're about to reach school and they should get dressed, and scolds them for fighting before they even get there.**

"She's got a point," Lily said in defense, as at once the four boys looked about to defending themselves.

**Ron snaps that it was Scabbers who was doing the fighting, not them, then tells her to leave while they change. Hermione agrees and begins to leave, then turns back and tells Ron he's got dirt on his nose.**

Remus chuckled a bit. While she had a small bit of a personality issue, it was clear she'd be fun to have around. If only for her outward going nature.

Harry on the other hand was frowning. He was so sure of his feelings towards Hermione, that she was going to be a friend of his. Yet what he felt now, was annoyance at such a bossy sort of girl, shaking his head slightly, perhaps she was just as nervous as he was, he kept going.

**Ron glares at her as she leaves, while Harry looks out the window again. It's getting dark now, and he can see mountains and forest all around. He and Ron change into their school uniform now, and just as they're done a voice comes over the speaker announcing that they will be arriving at Hogwarts soon, and to leave their luggage on the train, it'll be taken care of for them. Harry could feel his stomach tighten up with nerves, and one glance at Ron showed the same. They both crammed their pockets with the rest of their train snacks and exited the compartment.**

Lily felt like doing a little happy dance, finally her little Hare Bare was at Hogwarts. She was so grateful for these books being here, to show her what it was like for him. Circumstances that led this to happening aside of course.

**When the train came to a complete stop, the two of them went out onto the dark platform outside. Harry could feel the cold sweeping through them all, and focuses on a lantern heading their way, and a familiar voice calling out for the first years to come his way. Then Hagrid spots Harry in the crowd and calls out a greeting to him.**

They all smiled to themselves again, happy that Hagrid's affection towards Harry hadn't lessened any now that the boy wasn't his responsibility anymore.

**Hagrid grins at Harry then repeats his call for the first years, a throng beginning to follow him to a path. Harry spots Neville through the crowd, still sniffling a bit.**

"Poor dear," Lily wanted to give him a hug, "his first day there should be exciting, not miserable."

"Harry's just lucky it's a nice night out," Remus laughed, "they all should. Remember our sixth year, it was pouring down so bad, the teachers considered not even using the boats for the first years."

"Yes well, the squid spit that kid out in the end, so it was alright," James said, smiling in agreement and laughter.

**Then they come around a bend, and the Hogwarts castle comes into view. All of the new students let out surprised and excited 'oh's' and 'ah's.'**

"Is there ever not?" Sirius smiled in remembrance.

**They are now at the edge of the lake, the castle sitting on top of a mountain on the other side, the abundance of windows, turrets, and towers all gleaming with a merry and welcoming light.**

All four adults smiled with both happy and sad memories mixed together, despite everything that had happened there, they all loved that school.

Harry too was smiling to himself, but it was all with happiness. Home. That one word came to mind for him like nothing before ever had. This was Hogwarts, his home.

**On their side of the water are a row of boats, and Hagrid instructs four to each. When Harry and Ron climb into one, they are joined by Neville and Hermione. When Hagrid is sure everyone is in, he commands forward**

"Remember that's how we met Peter," James and Sirius smiled at each other.

Sirius laughed a bit saying, "'Course I do. Puny little kid he was. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head."

**and the boats begin moving on their own, going across the smooth water with ease. The crowd was silent as the castle continues getting closer. Then they reach the opposite edge, and climb out. While Hagrid is doing a sweep of the boats, he comes across a toad, and calls out to Neville if it's his.**

"Oh that's wonderful!" Lily cried in joy.

"You are way too invested in this boy's toad," James told his wife indulgently, it was one of the things he loved about her, how she seemed to care for everyone endlessly.

Lily simply kept smiling, knowing full well her husband meant nothing by his comment.

"I am curious though," Remus said, "how it got lost on the train, but ended up in the boats."

"Maybe one of the other students found it, and were taking it up to the school," Sirius offered, "then it slipped away from them to."

"Tricky little pet he is," James laughed.

**Neville jubilantly exclaims the name of his pet, Trevor, and clamps the reptile firmly in his hands as they begin their way up to the castle doors. Hagrid does one last head check to make sure everyone's still caught up, then asks Neville if he's still got hold of his pet.**

They all laughed a bit at that, Hagrid was such a caring person, and he did love all of the creatures at Hogwarts, even a random first year student's toad.

**Then Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Harry told them, looking about, and smiling so much his face looked like it was about to fall off, "who's turn now?"

"No, no," Lily said, getting up from the couch, and offering her hand to Harry, "mark the place, and we should all get some shut eye, it has been the most bizarre day of my life, and I can't be the only one exhausted from all of this."

James quickly agreed with her, and after a moment's more hesitation and a longing look at the books, the keys to his memories, he agreed and took her hand. Lily and James led Harry upstairs to a guest room, and made sure he got settled in for the night.

Sirius and Remus on the other hand, were exchanging meaningful looks, and decided they needed to have a talk with James and Lily before they too hit the sack.

* * *

To all who are worried by the way, this is going to be as canon as possible, which means this isn't Harry/ Hermione like some of the adults make jokes about over some of the series. They're doing that purely out of the ignorance that a boy and girl can't just be friends. I promise, you'll see much more instances of Harry finding any mention of Ginny more adorable then taking notice of his family's teasing.

* Ironically he did, for thirteen years anyways.


	8. THE SORTING HAT

Only after Lily had taken baby Harry from Sirius and put him into his crib in his own room did the four sit and have a long, extensive talk. Discussing everything they had read so far, the good, and through a lot of teeth gritting and cursing, and then the bad. After their discussion, they then came to the consensual conclusion that they wouldn't hide anything from this Harry. They hadn't really planned on it before, but deep down they all wondered one thing. What if Harry couldn't get back to his own time?

What if he was stuck here with them? Sure he'd have all his memories of his old life back, but none of them even knew for certain how he'd come here. Time travel was the sketchiest part of any magic, and even the Department of Mysteries had only begun testing it, and they weren't very forthcoming with what they had. If this ended up being the case, then after they read these books they would have to come up with some sort of alibi for Harry.

Agreeing about more details on that later, they then briefly spoke of this supposed Death Eater that had followed through with Harry, here into this time as well. They were all convinced that the magical spells surrounding the house would have alerted them if there was someone here who shouldn't be, and to make sure they even went back over a few of them. Nothing came of it; Harry was their only uninvited guest.

The topic did briefly come up of how, of all the places Harry could have landed, the boy ended up here. It was quite a coincidence, and none of them really believed in coincidences. Perhaps after Harry had his full memories back he could explain this, or at least they hoped so, because now they all felt a bit less secure here.

They talked long into the night, until finally Remus almost cracked his jaw yawning, Lily demanded they all go to bed, having meant what she'd told Harry, this had been the longest day of her life, and surely the others as well.

After a brief conversation, Remus and Sirius decided they would kip here for the night, Sirius merely slumping back on the couch, and tossing his feet out and claiming it as his. Remus took the hint and decided to use the other guest room for the night.

The next morning, once they'd all awoken and had a bit of breakfast, Remus disclosed his full story to Harry, and James and Sirius often jumped in. Harry beamed and laughed along, finally understanding and looking as if a great relief had been lifted from his shoulders. Telling them all that this made him happy and feel whole once more. This did puzzle them a bit, since Harry had only felt like this before when a strong memory had been returned to him. They knew that all the Marauders were dead in Harry's time, so they were the only ones that could give Harry this story.

Knowing there was nothing to it and no reason to ask the boy, they decided instead to gently ease into the topic of the Dursleys. Harry made to clench up at once, but they were all quick to reassure him. In fact they spent most of the morning trying to get him to warm up to them, and after only a few hours they seemed to have made a bit of progress in convincing him that what the Dursley's had done to him, was indeed wrong.

Harry still insisted that they hadn't left any lasting damage on him, but confided a few details he had neglected to tell them during the reading of the second chapter. Taking this as a small victory for now, they decided not to push their luck on what was clearly years of an embedded nature of secrecy.

They all went back to the living room and Remus volunteered to read this time, while Harry managed to slip in one more question. "Where is this Peter I've heard so much about? I'd very much like to meet him."

"A very good question," Sirius agreed, looking towards the door with just a hint of worry now.

"I sent him an owl before I went to bed last night," Lily quickly reassured. "If he doesn't answer by the end of the day, then you three can start panicking." She'd meant it in a light teasing type way, but she knew that these four had never gone longer than a week tops without speaking to each other. Therefore, any prolonged absence would worry each of them. After taking the same seats as before, Remus gave himself a firm shake and then began in bright tones.

**When the door opens it** **revealed** **the description of Professor McGonagall from the first chapter,** **and was** **confirmed when Hagrid introduc** **ed** **the first years to her by name. Harry's first instinct about her was that she was someone not to cross.**

"I hope you followed that first impression," Lily said, wanting very much for her son not to turn out like his father and be in detention more than out of it.

"Not surprised McGonagall's still there," Sirius said grinning, "she loves that school and every student in there."

**The students now follo** **wed** **her into the entrance hall, which was a huge** **piece** **of architecture from the high ceiling to the marble staircase.**

Harry smiled to himself; the more he heard about this castle the better he was feeling. This sounded like a wondrous place, possibly full of the best of his memories.

**McGonagall lead** **ed** **them across** **the** **hall, past another large room, which seemed to hold the rest of the students, but instead into an anteroom where she be** **gan** **to lecture them on the basics of the school. The four houses, and how you earn and lose points for those houses.**

"I feel like, for every point I made for our house, you lot made us lose five," Lily said in exasperation, it was a wonder they ever won the house cup with them around.

"You know you enjoyed watching the shows though," James said cheekily. Lily pressed her lips together in an effort to hide her smile.

**At the end of the year, the house with the most house points will** **win** **the House Cup, an honor. She then** **told** **them they** **would be sorted** **into those houses in front of the rest of the school,** **and to enlighten them about themselves** **. Her eyes happened to linger on Neville's cloak, which** **wasn't** **fastened right, and Ron who still had a spot on his nose. Harry tried to flatten his hair in a bit of nerves.**

"Why?" James laughed, "there's no bloody point. Honestly, after a while I did the opposite," he said, running his hand through his hair backwards for emphasis.

"One of the most annoying of your many annoying habits," Lily grumbled with some soft affection.

"Nerves," Harry answered his father, thinking back to how the Dursley's often kept their hair flattened in an attempt to impress. He must have gotten that from them.

**She instructed them to wait quietly until she returned, and then left.**

"Does she really give the same speech every year?" Remus chuckled. "That was almost word perfect to the same one she gave us."

"McGonagall has always been a bit of a traditionalist," Sirius reminded him, smiling slightly.

**Harry asked Ron how they were sorted, but Ron merely shrugs and says his brother told him it hurt, but he's sure Fred was kidding.**

Harry went a bit wide eyed in fear for a moment, but when the other four burst out laughing, he decided it really must be a bit of a joke from Fred. James was quick to reassure, "don't worry Harry, it doesn't hurt one bit."

"But you still won't tell me?" Harry wheedled a bit.

"Where would be the fun in that?" Sirius chuckled.

"It's tradition," James agreed with a smirk. "You're not supposed to ruin what happens, why do you think Ron doesn't know either?" Harry decided instead of arguing, he'd let the book tell him.

**Harry felt his whole body** **begin** **to tense up now. A test in front of the school? He didn't know any magic yet, what was he going to have to do?**

"No, no," Lily said quickly, as she saw Harry's rising panic on his face, "it's alright dear, nothing like that," after casting a quick look round at the boys, who were all shaking their heads and silently pleading her not to tell she finally sighed and said, "it doesn't hurt and it's not a test. I promise."

Harry relaxed again and asked Remus to go on.

**Harry looked around anxiously and was slightly relieved to see no one else looked to confident either. Harry himself hadn't felt so upset about something since he'd had to go home with a paper for the Dursleys to sign because he'd turned his teachers wig blue.**

"Do we even want to know at this point?" James groaned.

Harry pressed his lips together for a moment, but after remembering the breakfast they'd all just had, he finally admitted to them the whole story. A student had been cheating off his test, and when he'd told him to stop it the boy quickly cried out that Harry had been the one cheating. The teacher had believed him instead of Harry, and Harry had been so mad he'd turned his teachers wig blue, though of course neither of them understood how at the time.

The teacher told the principal Harry had done it during their lunch break and that he must have somehow poured blue dye on it, and the principal had believed the teacher instead of Harry. After going home and having to get a signature from either his aunt or uncle, he'd been locked up in his cupboard for the night, but that was the only punishment he'd received. Because the principal had been convinced it was something as ordinary as acting out, Uncle Vernon chose to believe this as well. Therefore, in this particular moment, he must not have blamed Harry's magical background.

Harry hadn't bothered to correct him, even if he'd known he should have, he wouldn't. All four adults once again felt a downpour of emotions at yet another instance where, not only did no one believe Harry when he'd done nothing wrong, but he had been punished for something he'd had no control over. It was as wrong as every other instance they'd heard, but all they could do now was chalk it up to another moment they would like to take revenge on. For now, Remus decided to keep going.

**Harry was now positive when McGonagall came back, he'd be lead away to his doom.**

Sirius forced out a bit of laughter at that, saying, "bit melodramatic eh?"

"All eleven year olds are melodramatic," Lily smiled indulgently.

**Then there came screams from behind him, and Harry nearly jumped out of his skin.**

"The ghosts," all four said at once, causing all of them to start laughing.

In explanation to Harry's very confused face Remus told him, "Oh right, yeah there are ghosts at the castle."

"Okay," Harry drew the word out, but decided this was no weirder then everything else that had happened to him.

**Floating through a wall was a group of mostly transparent figures, clearly arguing. One that looked like a monk was saying how they should give someone a second chance.**

"Peeves again," Sirius rolled his eyes, "I hope he never does learn."

"Only you four," Lily shook her head at the ceiling. Harry briefly wondered who Peeves was, but since the book was clearly talking about him now, he decided to let Remus keep going.

**Another returned that they had given Peeves all the chances in the world.** **Stated that he** **gave ghosts a bad name, and he wasn't even technically a ghost. Then he noticed the first years below, and asked what they were doing there.**

"Like he doesn't know," James snickered.

**The ghost who asked them was wearing a ruff and tights, and when nobody answered him, it was the monk who was referred to as the Fat Friar cried out happily how these must be the new first years. A few people nodded mutely to that. The Friar continued that he hoped to see them in Hufflepuff** **since t** **hat was his old house after all. Then McGonagall returned and told the Ghosts to move along, it was time for the sorting to take place.**

"If McGonagall hadn't come back, they'd have all started introducing themselves," Sirius laughed.

**The ghosts left and the students then conformed themselves into a line and followed her into the Great Hall.** **There were five tables in all in the** **room they entered putting the raised one on their left and it seemed to house the teachers. All around them were hundreds of faces** **watching so** **Harry looked to the ceiling** **instead a** **nd saw how it seemed to open up clear into the sky. Then he heard Hermione Granger behind him whisper how it's only bewitched to look like that, and that she'd read about it in a book called Hogwarts, A History.**

"There, you see," Lily beamed, "I'm not the only one who enjoys outsource reading."

"Lily, you were never this bad," James told her knowledgeably, willing to put money that this girl would be a Ravenclaw, it already showed that she treasured knowledge greatly.

**Looking again, Harry found that hard to** **believe because** **it looked like there was nothing above them but open sky.**

"Lucky it doesn't come winter," Sirius said.

**Then Harry drew his attention to a stool that had been placed** **down in front of them** **with an old hat placed on top. It was clearly very old and looked extremely dirty, and Harry thought to himself that his Aunt never would have let it in the house.**

The four adults grimaced, hoping it wouldn't take too long for Harry to stop taking their minds back to that place. They all looked to Harry, who was looking as confused as he must have on that day.

They all smiled to themselves, pleased beyond measure that they could witness this.

**Harry's first thought was that maybe they had to pull a rabbit out of the hat.**

"That's seventh year magic that is," James said, shaking his head, "trying to conjure a rabbit out of nothing."

"Unless he means turning the hat into a rabbit," Sirius offered, "still advanced though. Like second year at least." Lily rolled her eyes at the pair, and declined to mention that this was just simply something muggles did. Remus ignored them as well and just kept going.

**Harry noticed that everyone else around him was watching the hat expectantly, so Harry continued watching it as well when suddenly a large rip opened near the brim, and the hat began to sing.**

"Sing?" Harry interrupted, his mouth going a little slack at that.

"Yes Harry, sing," James said with high amusement, "keep going Remus." Remus took one more moment to capture this memory, of Harry's confusion and delight at a talking magical hat, but then hesitated and read.

**"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,**

"Oh Remus no," the boys groaned, "you've got to sing it."

"No way," Remus said at once, going a bit red in the face, "I'm not that good a singer, so just let it go." Then he started over from the first line and read.

**Insert first Sorting Hat Song.**

**The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song.**

Both Sirius and James huffed in annoyance, and vowed that if they were lucky enough to get the sorting hat's song next year, they would sing along. Harry on the other hand was mulling over everything the hat had just said. So all you had to do was try on the hat? Oh, he couldn't wait to find out what house he was in. Despite all of their reassurances, he really hoped he was in Gryffindor like the rest of his family.

**Then it bowed to the four tables and became still again. Ron whispered into Harry's ear how he was going to kill his brother, who'd been convincing Ron that he'd have to wrestle a troll.**

"That's brilliant," Sirius cackled, "Wish I could have fooled Regulus into thinking that."

"Poor boy needs to learn not to take them at word," James said fondly.

**Harry managed a small smile back. He agreed that trying on the hat was far better than anything he'd been fearing, though he didn't particularly feel brave or quick-witted, or anything the hat had mentioned.**

"Don't worry dear," Lily said, "it doesn't take how you're feeling at the moment, it-"

James quickly cut her off saying, "Lily, we don't need an hour long lecture on the magic of how that hat works. Please, I want to know what house Harry's in." Lily threw him a dirty look but nodded, eager to learn this as well.

**Now if the hat had mentioned a house for those who felt queasy, Harry would have been a shoo in for that.**

"That would be the one for everyone," Sirius laughed.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a long roll of parchment and called out the name Abbott, Hannah, and a girl with blonde pigtails stumbled forward and put the hat on. After a m** **oment's** **pause, the hat shouted Hufflepuff at the top of its non-existent lungs.**

Harry looked very intrigued at this; it seemed rather simple, and far better than anything he was imagining moments ago.

**The pattern continued for quite some time, as McGonagall continued c** **alling** **out the first years in alphabetical order,** **as** **the hat seated each new student. When the first Gryffindor, Brown, Lavender, was sorted Ron's twin brothers began catcalling her.**

"Sounds familiar," Lily muttered, knowing at least, James and Sirius started doing this every year starting their second year.

"Got to make them feel welcomed," they said at the same time.

**Then a student was sorted into Slytherin, and as Harry** **took** **his first good look at them, he** **couldn't** **help but think they looked rather unpleasant.**

"Oh don't start that," Lily said, frowning at once. "It is possible to make friends outside of your own house." Harry gave her a strange look, she seemed rather defensive of the subject, but as the other three all simply rolled their eyes at her, Harry decided to say nothing.

**As the names continued to dwindle down, Harry could feel himself starting to feel sick. In his school years during sports, he'd always been chosen last** **. Not** **because he wasn't any good, but because none of the other kids wanted Dudley to think they liked Harry.**

"Well neither problem applies to this," James huffed under his breath.

"Or ever again," Remus agreed.

**Determined to think about something else, Harry instead looked back and watched the hat call out more names. Sometimes he noticed the hat called out** **their houses** **instantaneously, while others it deliberated for a minute.**

Lily smiled and said, "It's all to do with the hat's process and-"

"Lily," all three boys said at once, Lily pouted but let the reading continue.

**For instanc** **e,** **one boy named Finnigan, Seamus sat on the stool for a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.**

This time, Lily reached over and quickly whispered in Harry's ear, "it's to do with their personality. Every person has the potential traits for all four houses, and the hat decides which one would suit that person best. Sometimes it's obvious, sometimes it takes a bit of work for it to figure out."

Harry nodded and had been listening so intently, he almost didn't hear Remus say.

**Then it was Hermione's turn, and she sprinted forward eagerly for her turn. The hat considered for several moments before it declared her a Gryffindor.**

"Really?" All four adults said together, while Harry smiled brightly. He knew his instincts about this girl had been correct.

"Guess I had her pegged wrong," Sirius acknowledged.

"Which is why you don't sort people," James laughed.

**Harry began having a horrible idea, and wondered if the hat wouldn't choose a house for him at all.**

"Never happened in Hogwarts history," Lily said at once, as nerves looked to be coming over her son again.

**If he'd just sit there until the teachers decided a mistake had been made and send him back to the Dursleys.**

"They'd never," James vowed, not even wanting to think on it.

 **When it was Neville** **Longbottom's** **turn.**

"Longbottom?" They all said together in shock.

"So that is Alice and Frank's boy," James said with a bit of unease, remembering the train scene. Perhaps Harry hadn't been the only boy to lose his parents during this awful war.

Knowing the Longbottom's pretty well, Sirius really didn't want to think another good family had been destroyed, so he quickly said "Yes well, I'm sure that older woman dropping him off was just the one time thing. Since they're both Aurors, I mean that can be a very demanding job I'm sure" but as he trailed off, even he could hear the falseness in his own words.

Sighing deeply, Remus decided he wasn't going to jump to any conclusions, so he just kept going. Harry was frowning to himself a bit, thinking for what felt like the hundredth time that he should know the answer to this, yet once again it was escaping him. He really hoped this feeling would either wear off already, or stop cropping up.

**The** **hat seemed to take ages to make him a Gryffindor, and in his anxious state, Neville began walking off with the hat still on his head before walking back and handing it sheepishly to the next student.**

James and Sirius were both chuckling at that, this was original and something they'd never seen and those moments were always a joy to them.

**Malfoy's turn came** **around a** **nd he swaggered up to the stool and got his** **wish. The hat had barely touched** **his** **head declaring** **him a Slytherin.**

James dearly wanted to make a comment how this was no surprise, but kept his mouth shut for Lily's sake.

**Name's later, to Harry's dismay, it was his own turn.**

"Yes," all four adults said eagerly.

**As he made his approach, he heard spouts of whisp** **ers** **cropping up all over the hall, confirming amongst themselves they'd heard that name right.**

A small frowned dampened their spirits just a bit, hoping all this whispering would get out of the students now, and knowing full well it wouldn't.

**Harry didn't focus on that long though, as the hat was now whispering in his ear how difficult it was to sort him. Praising him for his mind, a lot of courage, an interesting thirst to prove himself, and how much potential for talent he had, then rhetorically asks where he should go.**

"That sounded like a general mix of all the houses," Lily said, intrigued at once.

**Harry desperately** **gives** **his opinion back, not Slytherin.**

"Oh Harry," Lily groaned, rubbing at her own temple. She wished he wouldn't judge the whole house by such rumors.

**The hat seems surprised** **, and** **then tries to convince Harry that Slytherin may be a great house for him on his way to greatness.** **However, at Harry's insistence** **the hat verbally declares Harry a Gryffindor.**

"Yes," all four boys cried as one, looking abundantly pleased despite what they had said. Even Lily couldn't deny how happy she was her boy wound up in her house. Although she still couldn't shake the feeling that, perhaps if Harry hadn't been brave enough to put up his opinion, he would have wound up in Slytherin. Oh well, no need to ponder it now.

"You know, that's a lot of what happened to me," Sirius said brightly, "the hat said I should go into Slytherin as well, but I fought back same as you pup." He grinned over at his godson with real pride for the first time, and Harry beamed right back.

"And I thank Merlin for that every day," James laughed, his best friend and him sharing a grin, "or I'm sure our school life would have been much different."

"I'll second that," Remus agreed.

**In Harry's relief, he didn't seem to notice he was getting the loudest applause. When he sat down at his new table, a ghost reached over to pat his ar** **m.**

Remus shuddered a bit as he kept reading.

**Giv** **ing Harry the sudden feeling he'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.**

Harry grimaced and rubbed his arm, clearly remembering that feeling all over again.

**Now that Harry could see the teacher's table more properly, he got a better look at all of them. There was Dumbledore and Hagrid, as well as Professor Quirrell now wearing a purple turban.**

"Maybe he wears it to impress the students," Lily said with a touch of concern, as Harry had once again grimaced in pain and began rubbing his temple in agitation.

"Yeah, suppose so," he agreed half-heartedly, unable to shake the feeling there was something important about that turban.

"Quirrell's still the only new teacher," Sirius piped up, trying to change the subject, "and the only new one I'm hoping. Since I rather liked all of my teachers."

"Couldn't tell that at school," Remus chuckled.

**When it was finally Ron's turn at the hat, the boy looked rather green.**

"Poor lad," James said sadly.

"Remember our sixth year and that kid whose last name was Zabini." Sirius laughed, "Poor thing vomited because he was the last one."

"Yes, well, I'm sure the Hufflepuffs didn't hold that against him," Lily chuckled.

**Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"**

Harry beamed, and they were all happy that Harry's new friend had joined him in their old house.

**Harry clapped along with the rest of his house when Ron took a relieved seat next to Harry. Then the last student, Zabini, Blaise, was sorted into Slytherin.**

"Would you look at that," James chuckled.

**McGonagall rolled up her scroll and picked up the Sorting Hat to leave. Harry was now looking eagerly at his plate before him, thinking how long ago those snacks on the train felt.**

"They always do by that time," Sirius agreed, rubbing his stomach.

**First though, the headmaster took to his feet and began addressing the whole of the students, welcoming them, saying a string of random words, and then taking his seat again. Harry couldn't decide whether to laugh or not.**

"I always choose laughter," James said, laughing even now at both Dumbledore's speech, and his son's expression of it.

**So he turned to Percy and asked if Dumbledore was a bit mad?**

"Perhaps a tad," Sirius said, cracking a small smile, "but we don't hold it against him."

**Percy's first reaction is to say that he was a genius, best wizard in the world** **, and then** **ended with yes he is a bit barking.**

"So was that a yes, or a no?" Remus asked, grinning with the others.

"I'll stand by what I said," Sirius told him.

**Before Harry had a second to consider that, Percy was offering him some food, and to Harry's amazement, the whole table was covered with delicacies of every taste.**

"What if someone was allergic to something?" Harry asked at random, remembering a day in his school cafeteria.

"The parents inform the school ahead of time, and it's taken up with the kitchens," Remus said with a shrug. He'd never looked into the matter personally, but since there had never been an instance, he was sure the house elves knew what they were doing.

**Pl** **us for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.**

"That's because Dumbledore loves those," Lily told him, grinning down at her boy.

**The Dursleys had never exactly starved Harr** **y.**

All four adults then pursed their lips, thinking to themselves that rationing food as a punishment was akin to starving in their books, but letting it slide for now. They trusted that Harry had told them the truth.

**He'** **d never gotten the chance to eat as much as he liked** **though, because** **Dudley always took anything that Harry wanted, even if it made him sick.**

"Is there anything awful that child hasn't done?" James demanded in disgust.

"Well I'm glad he's eating his fill now." Sirius muttered, still wanting to knock that family a good one.

Remus and Lily simply decided to keep that opinion to themselves, as Harry was looking a bit peeky again.

**While Harry piled his plate full, the ghost beside him said wistfully how** **good it** **looks, explaining that ghosts can't eat. Then properly introduces himself as Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, the ghost of Gryffindor Tower.**

"Why does he say it like that?" Harry asked, "Can't all the ghosts go anywhere in the castle they please?"

"Yes," said Remus, "but there's at least one ghost who represents every house, as a sort of guide if you will. Nick's ours. The Fat Friar is Hufflepuffs, the Grey Lady's Ravenclaws, and the Bloody Baron is Slytherins." Harry nodded with interest, but let Remus keep going.

**Ron suddenly burst out that he'd heard of him from his brothers, and called him Nearly Headless Nick.**

"Nearly headless?" Harry asked, "How can he be nearly headless?"

"Oh he tells that story every year," Sirius laughed with remembrance. "I always made it a point to sit near a first year every year so I could see this."

**Nick began to correct him, saying he'd much rather be called by his proper title, but was cut off by Seamus Finnigan demanding to know how he could be nearly headless. Nick seemed rather miffe** **d.**

"He's faking it," James laughed, "he loves showing off."

**He answered nonetheless, grabbed hold of his left ear,** **and pulled. His whole head tilted to one side to land on his shoulder, leaving only the finest of skins attaching him to his body.**

All three boys laughed boyishly as, once again, they got to witness a first year with a gaping mouth at this revelation. Yes, Harry may be older now than he was then, but that look never got old.

**Someone had obviously tried to behead him, and hadn't finished the job. Now Nick looked quite pleased as he put his head right and continued where he'd like, by saying how happy he was to meet the new** **Gryffindors. How** **he hoped they helped to win the House Cup. The Slytheri** **ns** **had won it six years in a row now.**

"Wow," Lily said, raising a brow, "that's almost a record. Two more years, and they'll have beaten it."

"Let's hope it doesn't keep then," James said with a groan of disgust.

**Then he referred to the Slytherin ghost as the Bloody Baron, and how he'd been unbearably proud of this fact. Harry glanced over and saw the indicated ghost, whose robes were silver stained with his blood. Seamus asked how that happened, and Nick said he'd never asked.**

"We have," all three boys said at once.

"Why am I not surprised?" Lily asked the ceiling.

"He wouldn't tell us though," Sirius said with regret, "one of the most bloody annoying things about our seventh year. We tried everything, got every ghost there to tell us how they died in one way or another. Sadly, both the Grey Lady, and The Baron, never spilled." Harry was twitching again in real agitation, but as he had no way to really explain that he felt he knew the answers to this as well, he simply remained quiet.

**Dinner passed on into deserts, everything imaginabl** **e.**

"Please Remus, you're torturing me," Sirius groaned, now clutching his stomach as if in real pain.

Remus opened his mouth to respond, but just then a wail came from upstairs. Taking the excuse, Sirius lunged to his feet and had barreled up the stairs before either parent had any chance to react. Sirius came down a few moments later with a bright eyed baby, cooing to it about how baby Harry had saved Sirius from 'mean old Uncle Remus and his 'torturing'. Remus just rolled his eyes and kept going as Sirius plopped himself down on the love seat with the toddler.

**The** **conversation had turned into people's families. Seamus was telling a funny story about how his Dad didn't know his mother was a witch until after they were married.**

Remus nodded sagely, saying, "Yeah, my dad didn't tell my mum he was a wizard until he accidentally got her pregnant. Perhaps not the best time to inform her, but there you go." James and Sirius had heard this before, but Lily and Harry couldn't help but giggle a bit at this.

**Ron asked Neville if he had anything to** **share** **and Neville** **admitted his grandmother raised him.**

Now all four adults paled as they came to the horrid conclusion that Neville had lost his parents in some way, same as poor Harry. None of them said anything however, as Harry already looked troubled enough by this news, and they all comforted themselves with a reminder that they were going to change this.

**His** **whole family thought he was a muggle. His Uncle kept trying to force some magic out of him, including nearly drowning him once** **.**

"Really now," Lily said, frowning severely, "magic comes with age. You shouldn't try and force it out any more then you should try stamping it out." The other three all agreed. Perhaps it was the over lingering hatred of how the Dursley's had treated Harry, but they all felt a bit sensitive on the subject now. Remus quickly read on.

**Nothing** **happened until Neville was once dropped out of a windo** **w.**

Now all four adults looked ready to breathe fire. Really now, did they have to set up a whole new division in the ministry just to prevent child abuse!

**Nevil** **le bounced down to safety.**

"Still doesn't excuse the act itself," they all muttered in agreement.

**Though Neville had showed** **magical powers** **, his family still worried he wasn't magical enough to get into Hogwarts.**

"There's no such thing," Lily said at once, "often magic abilities can be latent, not appearing at all until harnessed through the use of a wand."

"It's okay Lily," Remus said, trying to sooth what looked like a full-blown tangent, "the boy got in. Hold your very loud and persuasive arguments for work eh?" Lily huffed and sat back, letting him go on. Sirius and James both threw him 'thank you' looks.

**His** **uncle was so pleased he had, he'd given Neville his toad. On Harry's other side, Hermione and Percy were discussing things to expect in their lessons** **. P** **ercy was telling Hermione about Transfiguration and how they'd be starting with small t** **hings** **like matches into needles.**

"Aced that at once," Sirius said with pride.

**Harry was starting to feel sleepy from so much food now, and looked back to the teachers table expectantly. His eyes once again landed on Quirrell's odd turban, and this time he spotted him talking to a teacher with greasy black hair.**

James blinked several times, clearly startled. Then said quite loudly, "Oh bloody hell, you must be joking?"

"There's no way," Sirius groaned, letting his head fall back against the cushions, "someone please tell me Harry just has an extremely ugly teacher, who resembles an old Slytherin I never want to see again!"

"This can't be happening," Remus said at once, a bit of an edge in his voice "like Harry needs to put up with-"

"Enough," Lily said at once, glaring around at all of them. Privately Lily was doing quite the happy dance in her head. Last she had heard of her old friend, he had gone and joined a group of Death Eater's! Yet if this really was who she was hoping it was, then surely Dumbledore wouldn't have hired someone who supported Voldemort. So if this was him, then surely Severus had changed his ways over the years. Forcing herself to keep her mind on track, she turned back to find the boys still mutinously muttering as she said, "Leave it be until we know for sure." None of them agreed, but let it slide until they were sure. Harry still wondered what they were even talking about, but kept it to himself.

**It happened very** **suddenly while** **Harry was** **studying the** **new teacher he'd spotted, he felt a sharp pain shoot across the scar on his forehead.**

"What?" All four said at once, instantly distracted from the drama of old school mates.

"Scar's shouldn't burn," Lily said at once, fear lacing her tone, "did it hurt again, just now?"

"No," Harry said at once, though he did vividly remember that pain now, as if it had happened all over again.

The three boys exchanged fearful looks, but none of them knew what to make of this. After all, they weren't even one hundred percent sure how Harry had gotten that scar. Sure, the book said that was where Voldemort had tried to kill him, and the green light vaguely implied which spell he had tried to use. However, there was no way Harry had survived the killing curse. No one ever had. So there must have been some new spell he had used, one that had got around Harry. Perhaps the side effects of that were that it would randomly pain him in his life.

James asked, "Has it ever pained to you before this?"

"No," Harry said sadly, looking as lost as they do.

Sirius grimaced, wanting terribly to point out that he didn't think it was a coincidence that Harry would have this sudden pain the moment he looked at old Snivellus, there was no doubt of that description as far as he was concerned. He knew the telling off he'd get from Lily for saying that. With no other proof or facts to look at, Remus decided that he should keep going, and hope an explanation came about soon.

**Harry cried out in pain, but when Percy asked what was wrong, Harry** **denied** **it and t** **ried** **to go back to normal. The pain had come and gone so fast he had no idea what to make of it.** **It was** **harder to forget was the look that dark haired teacher had given him, a distinct look of hatred.**

Lily pursed her lips, but refused to admit that these boys might be right. No, Severus was a better man than that, he had to be. All three boys muttered something about an understatement before going on.

**Harry asked Percy who this teacher was, and Percy told him that was Snape, the Potions teacher, but the job he really wanted was Defense Against the Dark Arts.**

"No," Lily said at once when it looked like these boys were going to start verbally abusing Severus "I don't want to hear a word of it." After all, her old friend may harbor a grudge against this lot, and who could blame him, but it shouldn't affect Harry at all. She told them all as much, and all three boys gave her a look as if suddenly fearing for her health.

"You must be joking Lily," James said in exasperation, "Snape, not being a prat to my son. It's perfect for him to get his revenge and…" He was suddenly cut off.

"No," Lily said with such firmness, they all wanted to take a step back from her. "Severus would never take out his anger at you on a child. I know him better than that."

"Knew him," Sirius muttered bitterly to himself, thinking back to their fifth year when the two had quite the public falling out and never really made up. James and Remus on the other hand had a better sense than to argue with her about this, though they too agreed with Sirius. All three dearly hoped they were wrong though, as they would never forgive themselves if Snape really were a prat to Harry just to get back at them. Wasn't the lot of them being dead good enough? They would have to hope so.

Harry was privately wondering through all of this, what was going on? There was clearly a back story here he hadn't been privy to. However, as his mother looked ready to burst into tears if the boys kept on this much longer, he said nothing, and instead wrapped his arm around her for comfort as Remus just decided to go on.

"I'm not surprised at all," Sirius huffed to himself. "He would go apply for the Dark Art's job. Thankfully Dumbledore saw his real talents as a scrawny Potions know it all git."

"That was probably the nicest thing you ever said about him," Lily said, half a reprimand, half a thank you.

"Told you we were getting better," James said brightly.

**Harry was still studying him curiously, but then Dumbledore got to his feet, and the hall fell silent to listen. Dumbledore gives out a few** **notices like** **how the forbidden forest is off limit** **s.**

All three boys cracked up a bit at this, since all four friends had broken that rule there first night there. This had, incidentally, started a beautiful friendships. Harry even gave a small laugh at that, remembering them telling him this at breakfast. Lily simply shuddered in disgust. She had never set foot in that forest, and never intended to. It was creepy.

**He added** **that some of the older students should remember that by now, while his eyes lingered on Fred and George Weasley.**

"Liking them more and more," James said with glee.

**He has also been reminded by Filch, the caretaker,**

"Argh, that old git is still there," Sirius said in disgust.

"Filch isn't that bad," James said fairly, "so long as you know how to avoid him."

"You lot clearly weren't very good at that, as often as I saw him screaming at you," Lily laughed.

"Yes well, we had to let him catch us sometimes," Remus said, a sparkle of mischief clear in his eyes, "how else could we raid his office to get our stuff back."

Lily groaned and put her face in her hands, deciding she didn't want to ask anymore.

**He also reminded** **the students magic** **was** **forbidden in the corridors,** **and then moved** **on to talk about Quidditch trials and who to contact to find out about those, a woman named Madam Hooch.**

"Oh good," James said with glee, "Madam Hooch is still there. At least I know Harry will get proper flying instructions then."

"I notice she's the only teacher there so far who you've given her title," Lily said, shaking her head sadly, "is she really the only adult there you respected?"

"At the time," Sirius said slowly, "yes. But as we aged, we did come to respect all of our teachers for what they were."

"And we did call them properly in class, give us that," Remus said fairly. Lily again, simply rolled her eyes at her boys.

**Then** **he finished** **with a new announcement that the third floor corridor on the right hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very unpleasant death.**

All four adults blinked, now very clearly startled at this. "I'm guessing that wasn't there when you were then?" Harry asked, rubbing his temple furiously again, talking seemed to help lessen the pain though.

"No, not at all," Sirius said, an old tone beginning to creep into his voice.

"No." Lily said at once, giving all three boys very stern looks.

"Sirius just said that Lily," James told her, trying to avoid her gaze.

"You know exactly what I mean James Potter," Lily said severely, throwing Harry a very worried glance. "I don't care what you lot got up to at school, can't do anything about it now, but I do not want Harry to go around, poking into things he shouldn't. Did you not hear the 'very painful death' part? He could get really hurt!"

"Oh relax Lily," Remus laughed at the way she made his two best friends look almost ashamed of themselves. "Harry's perfectly alive and healthy right there. I'm sure even if he did find out; he didn't come to any harm." Lily hardly looked nullified, but the other three boys looked quite pleased at Remus' logic.

**Harry laughed, but then realized he was one of the few who did. He asked Percy if Dumbledore was serious** **.**

Sirius was far too curious to hear this then to make his preferred joke.

**Pe** **rcy says that he must** **be because** **Dumbledore usually has a reason for his rules** **. L** **ike the Forbidden Forest is full of dangerous creatures, but he hadn't really told them why** **that** **was.**

"Now that's a fair point," Remus pointed out, now frowning a bit himself, "I wonder why he wouldn't have told them why?"

"All the more reason to stay away," Lily muttered, though she was clearly the only one thinking this.

**Then Dumbledore declares they should sing the school song.**

"Oh come on," James and Sirius groaned, while Sirius said, "I'll bet you're not going to sing this either?"

"Of course not," Remus sniffed, "I've told you, I don't like singing."

At Harry's confused look, Lily told him, "Dumbledore has them sing the school song every seven years. Your father and Sirius loved singing it in this old dirge tone, being the last ones to stop. Remus and Peter on the other hand, tried their best to avoid the public eye, so they were a bit more, how shall I put this, reserved." Harry smiled at her, then around at the rest of them as the boys were still arguing. Finally, Remus cut off the argument, by simply reading as fast as he could.

**Dumbledore used his wand to create a golden** **ribbon, which** **strung itself in the air and began contorting itself into the first few li** **nes** **and Dumbledore instructed everyone to pick their favorite tune and begin singing:**

**Insert Hogwarts school song.**

While James and Sirius looked genuinely hurt that they hadn't been allowed to do the tune that they had greatly enjoyed making up on the spot in their sixth year, Remus looked relieved that this should be the last time he'd have to avoid singing.

**Everybody finished the song at different times. Finally, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march.**

"Brilliant!" James and Sirius laughed.

**Dumbledore was one who clapped the loudest when everyone finished, then praised that music was his favorite form of magic. Then sent them all off to bed.**

"I swear, Dumbledore's the only one who ever enjoys that," Lily chuckled.

"It didn't say, what tune did you do Harry?" Sirius asked brightly.

"I just kind of hummed along," Harry admitted. "I'm not much in the way of music either."

"Well, we can't all be The Three Toads," James said with a shrug. Harry blinked for a moment before deciding it must be some wizard band, and not asking about it.

**The Gryffindor first years followed Percy out of the Great Hall and up a long series of passages and corridors. Harry was so tired by now, he wasn't paying much attention where they were headed.**

All four adults looked like they wanted to laugh a bit at this. Harry really should have been paying attention to where he was going, or he was going to have a rough morning. It was too late now, however, to mention it.

**They were stopped rather abruptly though by some walking sticks blocking their path. Percy snapped that someone named Peeves needed to show himself, but he merely blew a raspberry in response.**

"His favorite response really," Sirius chuckled.

**Percy threatens to go get the Bloody Baron.**

"Ouch," James winced, "pulling the Baron card already? I think that's a bit unnecessary."

"He's trying to get the first years to bed," Lily said, "I'd be a bit curt with him to."

**At** **this Peeves makes his appearance as a little man, floating in the air. He cackles upon seeing the first years and swoops low over them, making them all duck. Percy again threatens to go and get the Baron, and Peeves' response is to drop the walking sticks on Neville's head as he vanishes for good.**

"That poor kid," Sirius winced, "he seems to be getting the short end since this thing started." None of them had really gotten over the fact that he was an orphan too, just like their little Harry. They were hoping that Harry would make friends with him soon though, it would make them all feel a bit better about it, if only slightly.

**Percy explains to them that Peeves likes to cause trouble around the scho** **ol** **and that only the Bloody Baron can even slightly control** **him. Then** **complains how he won't even listen to the prefects.**

"That boy sure thinks a lot of his position," Remus said with a bit of a frown, after all if you let the position go to your head, you won't get any respect from the other students.

**Percy came to a stop again soon enough, in front of a portrait of a fat lady. She asks for a password, and Percy tells her Caput Draconis, which made the picture swing forward to reveal a hole in the wall.**

Harry was grinning to himself, feeling very pleased with himself that he wasn't surprised one bit at this.

**Percy instructs that the girls go up one passageway and the boys up another, and Harry climbs up to the very top of the tower to find five beds inside. Ron is already slumping into his own bed, telling his rat Scabbers to stop chewing on the sheets.**

"Well then, you should have fed him at dinner," Sirius interrupted with a small laugh, thinking back to all the great times he and his friends had shared in their dormitory.

**Harry is so exhausted he doesn't have any energy left for conversation and goes right to sleep, but has quite a strange dream. He's wearing Quirrell's turban, and it's tell him he needs to switch to Slytherin.**

"You can't transfer," James snorted.

"You're not feeling guilty about being in Gryffindor?" Lily asked with some concern, "because really sweetheart, the house doesn't matter. It's the person in the house."

"It's fine mum," Harry said, massaging his forehead again in a bit of pain, there was something important about this dream. Something he really should remember, but it just wasn't coming to him.

"I'm sure it's like the book said. I just had a bit too much to eat. Strange sleeping place, all that's bound to give me a nightmare." Deciding to take this for what it was, Remus pressed on.

**Harry t** **ried** **to take the turban** **off b** **ut it** **seemed to be** **stuck to his** **head. Suddenly Malfoy's there, laughing at him and then Malfoy turns into Snape** **, glaring hatefully at him, then there's a loud cold laughter echoing everywhere, and a burst of green light, and Harry wakes with a start.**

"Nightmare indeed," all three boys muttered, shaking themselves slightly. No one really wanted to dwell on that dream much.

**Harry rolls back over and goes right back to sleep, and in the morning, he doesn't remember the dream at all.**

"That's the end of the chapter," Remus said brightly, "Lily, did you want to go next?"

"Sure," she said, taking the book eagerly, wanting to get right to Harry's classes.


	9. THE POTIONS MASTER

Lily began with high spirits, wanting eagerly to know which classes her son would excel in.

**The next day, whispers seemed to follow Harry everywhere.**

Her spirits went down at once, of course the student body would gock at him, like some perverse form of a celebrity. None of the others looked the least bit happy about this either, but Lily hoped dearly that this wouldn't last long, so she pressed on.

**It started the moment Harry left his dormitory and kept up all through the hallways, which was very distracting as Harry's classes weren't very easy to find.**

James frowned, feeling his spirits flag a bit as he realized he'd never be able to talk to Harry about the map they'd let Filch 'catch' them with on the last day of term. Harry wouldn't be able to adopt his birth right.

Sirius and Remus were both thinking the same thing, though Sirius tried to console himself that, with any luck, some other pranksters had worked out how to get a hold of it, and were putting it to use.

**There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts,**

"Why do you know that?" Remus laughed, "I've never even sat down and counted them."

"I heard Hermione say that in the common room that morning," Harry told him. "I'm sure she learned about it in that book Hogwarts a History."

"I'll agree with you on that one," Sirius said cheerfully.

**all having something unique or magically odd about them, as well as the walls, and even the paintings in every corridor of this school.**

"Gotta love a castle with a personality," James said with reminisce, it still felt like only yesterday he and his friends had been roaming those halls, learning every secret they could.

**It didn't help him to memorize where anything was either, as the portraits constantly wandered around as much as the students, and Harry was sure the suits of armor could walk.**

"They can," Remus chuckled, "and they love messing with the students as much as anything else in that castle with a mind."

Harry looked slightly disgruntled at this, but even Lily was smiling and saying, "It's all part of the experience. You need to learn at a young age that magic is complex in all aspects, and nothing is as it seems."

"Way to put a philosophy spin on messing with a kids mind," Sirius laughed.

**Peeves was the worst of all, as he clearly went out of his way to torment the whole of the student population.**

"He's a lovely chap really," James said through bursts of laughter, not being able to count how many times he'd been pulled over by Peeves in his first year.

**Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch.**

"Now he is worse," Sirius agreed, "at least Peeves has a sense of humor. That old fart wouldn't know a joke if it bit him in the arse."

"You're just bitter of all the times he caught you," Lily said primly.

"Oh, like you don't hold a grudge for that time in first year when you used the wrong spell and made that bottle of ink explode all over his cat," Remus said slyly.

Lily's face went bright red, and she began stammering a bit, but it was nothing compared to James, who went bug eyed as he spluttered, "you told us you did that!"

"Yes well, I took pity on her when I came across Filch yelling like that, so I told him I did it," Remus told them, still smiling.

Sirius and James looked like they couldn't decide if they were hurt, or pleased at this deception for so long.

"Why didn't you ever tell us?" James demanded.

"Yes, that was the entire reason we invited you out that night," Sirius seconded.

"Couldn't rat out such a pretty girl then," Remus said, smiling indulgently at them all.

"Oh, but you can now?" Lily demanded, her face completely red from all of this.

"Well it's for Harry's benefit after all," he admitted, eyes gleaming as he meet his cubs.

Harry was laughing so hard he feared he'd crack a rib soon, while James and Sirius finally decided to cave in and acknowledged that they to, were impressed with this.

Lily was withholding judgement on whether she was going to forgive him, though the chances were high since they were long out of school now and no one could really do anything about it.

"I really do have to wonder why he's even there though," Sirius butted in. "The house elves do a far better job at keeping the castle clean, he only does it when something needs to be taken care of right then in the middle of the day, do we really need someone whose sole purpose is to catch students doing bad things?"

"Considering you lot, and those Weasley twins exist, yes," Lily pointed out.

**Harry and Ron managed to get on the wrong side of him on their first morning.**

"So straight out of your mother, and Uncle Remus," James laughed.

"Yes well, we weren't much better," Sirius argued at once, "since we did wait until our second day to do it on purpose."

"Got to test your boundaries early," James agreed.

**Filch found them trying to force their way through a door that turned out to be the entrance to the out-of-bounds corridor on the third floor.**

Lily winced at the mention of this again, while the other three were more privately thinking that if Filch had come across them, it wouldn't have been an accident they were trying to get in.

**He wouldn't believe they were lost, was sure they were trying to break into it on purpose,**

Lily spoke aloud what they had just been thinking, "yes well, with James as his father, I don't really blame him for assuming that."

"Poor old chap was probably having a flashback," Remus agreed.

**and was threatening them when Professor Quirrell came by and managed to rescue them.**

Harry couldn't help a puzzled little frown, like something about Quirrell being near that door should mean something to him...

**Filch owned a cat who was just as bad, named Mrs. Norris. Break one tiny rule in front of her, and she'd go in search of her master, who appeared seconds later.**

"I swear that cat is part knezel," Sirius grumbled, "too damned smart for its own good."

**There were many secret passages to help you get all around the castle, and Filch knew every one of them about as well as the Weasley twins. Every student in the castle hated Filch, and would love to give his cat a good kick.**

"And you can't blame them one bit," James said with chipper.

**Then of course once you found the classes you were looking for, they were hardly as easy as waving your wand around and saying a funny word.**

"But the challenge makes it all the more fun," Lily said with pleasure.

**On Wednesdays at midnight they had Astronomy with Professor Aurora Sinistra, where they studied the night skies stars and planets movements.**

"Never saw the point in that class," Sirius huffed, "I think it should be optional to third years, and that's it."

"Oh no," Lily said at once, "It's very important that you get a rounded education, and learning how-"

"Lily," James said again, "we discussed this, pertinent information."

Lily narrowed her eyes at him and said, "you just wait, I'm going to remind you of that later."

**Three times a week they had Herbology, where they learned to take care of all manner of magical plant life, taught by Professor Pomona Sprout, head of Hufflepuff house.**

"That class hated me," Sirius said at once.

"No Sirius," James said slowly, as if talking to an idiotic child, "you hated that class. Don't blame the plants."

"The plants sure hated me," Sirius grumbled, bouncing the baby around a bit to make himself feel better. When he began letting out high pitched giggling, it worked at once.

**The worst class of the lot was History of Magic, taught by a ghost.**

Lily sighed, "I have to agree with you on that one," she said sadly, "I've read the text of course, and I think it's fascinating, but Binns has to be the worst teacher there is."

"I'll give you that" Remus agreed, feeling bored at the mere mention of that class. He would be the first to admit he had used that class as an extra nap period, "give that class a better teacher, and it could be one of the best."

"How do you fire a ghost though?" Sirius asked.

"Pretty sure no one can answer that, which is why no one's done anything about it," James laughed.

**Older students tell of how Professor Cuthbert Binns had taken a nap by the fire one day, and woken up dead. He chose to remain as a ghost and had continued teaching. Easily the most interesting thing was the way he passed through his chalk board, then bored them all stupid as he droned on like a vacuum reading strictly from old notes.**

**Professor Filius Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw House, was the Charms teacher, who was human with goblin ancestors, had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. On his first day of class he called out roll, and toppled out of sight in excitement when he saw Harry's name.**

All four adults huffed at that, wishing that at least the teachers would show a little decorum.

**Professor Minerva McGonagall was again different.**

"Why wouldn't she be?" Sirius laughed. "Did you expect all your teachers to be exactly the same?"

Harry quickly explained, "well, in primary school, we had one teacher that taught us everything. I wasn't used to having different teachers at the same time."

"Fascinating," Remus said, "but that must have been hard on them. My dad didn't send me to primary school, for ah, obvious reasons," he explained sheepishly.

"No," Harry said frowning. "What are the obvious reasons?"

Lily clasped Harry's hand tightly and said, "it's a bit hard to explain dear, but for now all you need to know is that Remus' dad tried to keep him away from other people."

"But why though?" Harry said, getting more confused by the minute.

"Prejudice against something they didn't understand," James answered when it seemed Remus didn't want to, "they thought werewolves were a danger to them all the time."

"But they're not," Harry said in a 'duh' like tone, this was obvious to him after all, why would other people not see it.

"Let's, carry on shall we," Remus said, getting more uncomfortable by the minute, "leave this one for later."

Harry still looked confused, but let the matter slide for now.

The others, especially Remus, felt both happy that Harry was still innocent enough to not understand prejudices, and equally unwilling to introduce them to him themselves.

**Harry had clearly been right in thinking he shouldn't cross this woman. She was a strict, no nonsense kind of woman in class, instructing them that Transfiguration was one of the most difficult subjects they would learn, and then turned her desk into a pig and back again.**

"Show off," Remus chuckled a bit forcefully, trying to brighten the mood back to what it was.

**They weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for quite some time though. She set them all the task of turning a match into a needle, and Hermione was the only one to achieve this by the end of the first class, to which she received a smile and praise from the teacher**

"Really, are we sure she wasn't in Ravenclaw?" Sirius demanded, quite impressed himself.

"I don't think Harry's that senile, or that she's that lost," James said.

**The class Harry had most been looking forward to turned out to be a bit of a joke. The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Quirinus Quirrell, sadly wasn't any more impressive in the class then he'd been out of it.**

"I feared as much," Remus said with a wince.

"A real pity that, since it's one of your most important classes for learning offensive spells," James agreed.

Lily couldn't argue that logic, though she didn't approve what this lot had done with those offensive spells recreationally.

**His classroom smelled of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire.**

"Okay, that one's fair enough," Remus chuckled for real this time.

**The turban he now wore, he told the class, was a thank you gift for getting rid of some zombies, but this story seemed rather fickle, when asked for details Quirrell tried to distract them with the weather.**

"I can see why they're a bit skeptical then," James laughed.

"Can't even lie properly, or spin a good tale," Sirius said sadly.

**Not to mention that Quirrell seemed to carry a funny smell with him everywhere, and the Weasley twins insisted that was because he carried garlic with him everywhere.**

"I wouldn't put it past him," Remus said.

Harry couldn't help frowning, his automatic reaction to be to correct Remus and say something else was going on there, but he knew he'd pay for it and held his tongue.

**Harry did realize though that he wasn't behind the other students in these classes.**

"We tried to tell you that," Lily said.

"Oh I know now," Harry said quickly, still frowning a bit and knowing he was missing something to do with Quirrell and that turbine, but happy to change the subject and take his mind off of it.

**Several of the students had come from Muggle backgrounds. There was so much to learn that even students like Ron didn't even get a head start. It took five days for Harry and Ron to make it down to the Great Hall without getting lost.**

"It took you five days," James said with honest disappointment, "Sirius and I managed that by the first morning."

"Yes well, to be fair, we kind of snuck out that very night and made sure we could do as much," Sirius said fairly.

**Harry asks Ron what classes they have that day, and Ron tells him Double Potions with the Slytherins.**

All four felt a spike in their emotions at that.

**Professor Severus Snape was head of Slytherin house, and Ron told Harry how he favored his own house over others.**

"Well he shouldn't," Lily said at once.

"Wouldn't surprise me if he did," James muttered to himself.

"Wish McGonagall favored us," Sirius said sadly, having been told off by her, probably more than any other teacher.

**Harry muttered how he wished McGonagall would favor them more.**

Sirius blinked for a moment before bursting into laughter at that.

**Being the head of her house had not stopped her from giving them a load of homework the previous day.**

"And it never will," Remus said brightly.

"I swear sometimes you enjoyed your homework," James groaned.

**Then the mail began arriving, by owls. Several hundred of the birds came streaming in to drop letters and packages to their destination person.**

"A much better wakeup call then being yelled at," Harry said, smiling to himself, "if a bit more alarming."

**Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far.**

The four adults wondered if the aching feeling of loss would ever go away at this constant reminder that none of them had been able to write to him, to demand all sorts of details on how his week had gone. Who would Harry turn to for help if any problems arose at school? His friend was the same year as him, so he wasn't going to be able to help with everything?

**She occasionally flew in to nibble on his ear and nip a bit of his breakfast before flying off to the owlery where she would sleep. This morning though, she fluttered in with a note in her beak.**

They all perked up instantly at that.

**Harry opened it at once, finding a note from Hagrid asking if Harry would like to come around his place that afternoon, and to send a reply back with Hedwig.**

"Oh Hagrid," Lily said, almost tearing up with joy, "I'll never be able to thank that man enough."

The others couldn't help but agree with her, thinking that if they couldn't be there for Harry, at least someone still was for the little things like this.

**Harry sent back that he'd be delighted to, and Hedwig flew off again.**

"Why did Hagrid send him that in a note though?" James asked, "Surely he might have bumped into Hagrid on the grounds?"

Lily shook her head a bit before saying, "James, has it even mentioned that Harry's been traveling the grounds yet? I'm sure he's been staying inside and studying. It's his first week after all, it's still all new."

Harry verbally agreed with his mother.

**Harry was happy he had something pleasant like a visit to Hagrid's to look forward to, because his Potions lesson turned out to the worst thing to happened to him yet.**

"I knew it," Sirius snarled, looking like he wanted to get to his feet all over again and go curse that little slime ball.

Lily looked crushed, still not really wanting to believe her old school friend would turn on a child, so she said nothing until she read what actually happened.

James was beginning to feel the first visages of guilt at all of his actions he'd done to Snape, now knowing how Lily had felt when she said she felt guilty for the way Petunia treated her son.

Whether intentionally or not, they both felt responsible for the way these people, secondary in their own life, figured directly into their son's life.

**Harry had gotten the feeling that Professor Snape hadn't liked him from just a look. At the end of the class he realized he'd been wrong.**

"Oh," Lily said, brightening up for a moment, perhaps it was a student that had made this potion class so bad, but then without even looking at the boys, she kept reading, and her feelings sunk far lower than before. Almost as much as when she'd found out her son had been sleeping in a cupboard.

**Snape didn't dislike Harry - he hated him.**

Pursing her lips, and fighting back tears, she had to wonder did everyone she used to love as a child hate her son now?

Harry looked very upset as well, more so that his mother looked so close to bursting into tears, but Lily gave none of those boys a chance to say anything, as she quickly read on.

**The Potions classes took place in the dungeons, where the walls were lined with creepy pickled animals. Like Flitwick, Snape decided to do a roll call on the first class, and also made a remark upon finding Harry's name, in this case, referring to him as a celebrity.**

James gritted his teeth, and both Sirius and Remus felt themselves go a bit flushed with anger at the way this was starting already.

**Draco Malfoy began sniggering loudly, to which Snape took no notice. Harry couldn't help but notice Snape's eyes were black, like Hagrid's, but reminded him more of dark tunnels.**

"Spot on comparison," Sirius hissed, Lily ignored him.

**He then gave them a small lecture on what to expect, speaking in barely above a whisper, but managing to keep their every attention.**

"I'm surprised really," James grumbled under his breath, "since everyone had a natural talent for ignoring him during classes."

**Telling them there wasn't much wand waving in this class, but how useful potions could be**

"He sure thinks highly of his job," Sirius snapped.

Lily snapped as well, having quite enough, "Alright you two, you hate him. I know that. But I am not going to sit here and listen to you complain about every little thing he says."

Both boys went a bit wide eyed at the veracity, not knowing that she was channeling her own anger outwards. When her eyes swiveled onto Remus, possibly expecting him to join his friends, or maybe hoping for an ally against them, Remus simply threw his hands up in surrender and said, "I've several issues with Severus, but I'm not going to sit around and berate him."

"No, but you'll sit by and watch your friends do it," she practically hissed, all those old feelings coming back up to the surface again.

"Hey!" All three began at once, but Harry had finally had enough. "Stop it!"

They did indeed all freeze and turn to him. Harry had shouted so loudly though that baby Harry began crying in shock and fear. Sirius calmed him down quickly enough, and then Harry went on in more mellow tones, "Stop it, please. I can't stand watching you all fight like this."

Lily and James in particular looked remorseful, but Sirius still looked ready for a fight, and said, "Yes well, I guess there are some things we all still need to get off of our chests."

"Why are you even fighting though?" Harry demanded, "What on earth am I missing?"

All four fidgeted slightly, suddenly realizing they hadn't really mentioned there old school rival/friend.

Finally, it was Lily that sighed and said, "How about we explain after this chapter dear? It is a bit involved."

Harry still looked annoyed, but agreed anyways. His parents had kept their word about these things so far.

**and finishing with how he could teach them great things, if they weren't the usual idiots he had to teach.**

Remus couldn't help the snort that escaped him, oh that was a lovely teaching method, insult your students.

**Snape then turned his attention back on Harry and asked him what he would get if you mixed powdered root of asphodel and an infusion of wormwood.**

"The Drought of Living Death," Lily said at once, her eyes narrowing with distaste, that was a sixth year potion after all. "Why on earth would any of them know that?"

**Harry's mind was a complete blank, he'd never heard of those, and judging by Ron's face, neither had he. Hermione's hand shot straight into the air.**

"I don't believe it," James gaped, "there's no way she actually knows that!"

"Perhaps she was going to cite something from One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi," Sirius offered, not believing that even this bright little first year could know that.

**Harry admits he doesn't know, and Snape sneers at him, saying how fame clearly wasn't everything.**

"He did not," James snarled, wanting to reach out and take the book to confirm that this bully was really picking on a child now, for something as awful as his parents death!

"Why that," both Remus and Sirius began at once, but Lily quickly looked round at them, her face flushed with anger herself, but saying, "I meant it you three. I will not sit here and listen to you go badgering on about him every time he says something. Yes-" she quickly added on when James looked ready to fight back, "-he shouldn't have said that, it was wrong. Yet I won't hear it."

All three slumped back in real agitation now, really not wanting to see how far Snivellus was going to push little Harry's buttons.

**He ignored Hermione's hand and instead asked Harry another question, where would you find a bezoar?**

"In the stomach of a goat," she said to herself, that at least was a first year question, though why he was still picking on her boy, made her furious.

**Hermione was now waving her hand frantically, and Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were all shaking with laughter. Harry again admitted how he didn't know the answer, adding on sir at the end.**

"And he's still being polite and everything," Sirius grumbled to himself.

**Snape cracks that Harry should have opened a textbook before coming to class.**

"Really now," Remus snarled, "that's just being childish," though he said it quietly enough he didn't think Lily heard him.

**Harry had looked through all of his books, but did Snape really expect him to memorize everything in his text One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi? Snape was still ignoring Hermione, the only person with her hand raised, and instead asked Harry what's the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?**

"There the same plant, really now Severus, if he doesn't know by now move on!" Lily said in outrage, yes having heard all of the boys previous mutters, but finally losing her own patience.

"Lily, are you going to answer all of these questions?" James asked.

"It distracts me," she snapped, temper flaring.

"Alright then, you do that," he said at once, tossing his hands up in surrender.

**Now Hermione took to her feet and was waving her hand frantically, clearly determined to show she knew the answer.**

Remus wanted to laugh at this, she clearly wanted to prove herself, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it, still to angered at Snape's actions.

**Harry again says he doesn't know the answer, then points out how Hermione clearly does, and he should give her a shot.**

"Thank you Harry," James said, releasing a breath, "I was starting to get worried you'd let him do that to you all class."

Harry shook his head, having had more than enough bullying from the family he lived with to last a lifetime, he really wasn't going to let a teacher start on him now.

**Snape was not pleased. He snapped at Hermione to sit down, then informed the class of the proper answer to all of those questions, then demanded to know why they weren't all writing that information down.**

Lily's hands tensed over the book so hard she feared she might rip it. Still, that didn't lessen her anger any. Really, now who was acting like a child? Taking an old grudge out on her baby.

**While the students went to work on that, Snape called out how Gryffindor had lost a point, for Harry's cheek.**

James groaned and planted his face in his hands, knowing full well that this was just the beginning in a long line of times he was going to hate his eleven year old self.

**Things only got worse from there, as he set them up making a potion to cure boils. He went stalking around, insulting everyone's work except Malfoy's, whom he seemed to favor.**

"His dad's an old Death Eater buddy I'm sure," Sirius whispered into baby Harry's ear, making very sure Lily didn't hear that one.

**Then Neville's potion began to boil over, sweeping across the whole floor and burning holes in people's shoes.**

"Now that's a real accomplishment," Remus chuckled, "I didn't manage to melt a cauldron until my second potions lesson."

"And you then melted one every other class after that," Sirius laughed.

"Don't exaggerate Sirius," James said, a teasing smile curling his lips, "it was only once a month I'm sure."

"Oh haha, very funny," he grumbled, his friends would never let him live that down.

**Neville had gotten a full blast of it in the face, and was moaning in pain as boils sprang up all over his exposed skin.**

"The poor thing," Lily crooned.

**Snape called him an idiot**

"That arse!" She screamed.

All four boys jumped, looking as startled as the baby. Lily quickly set the book aside, then went over and scooped the baby away from Sirius, more to calm her own nerves down then anything. Only after her son was properly happy again did she give him back and march back over and pick up the book, intending to pick up where she left off, but James bravely said, "Ah, Lily flower, would you like to vent a bit?"

"No," she said through gritted teeth, then read in the same way.

**and predicted that Neville had added porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire.**

"A genuine mistake," Remus muttered, rubbing a spot on his arm in pained remembrance.

**Neville just whimpered as an answer, and Snape instructed Seamus to take him up to the hospital wing, then he turned his attention on Harry, and demanded to know why Harry didn't stop that mistake.**

"Why should he," James cut in his, his eyes burning, "it's not his job to watch, it's yours."

Lily sucked in a deep breath, but finally started to read again in an almost normal tone, only for her words to spike in anger as she kept going.

**He accused him of not doing because it would make himself look better, before taking another point off of Gryffindor.**

"Oh bloody hell," she and Sirius cried at the same time.

"This is, I really can't believe," Lily stuttered, to angry for words any more. Sirius sure wasn't, as he continued to verbally abuse Snape, calling him several things he'd never even thought to do back in school.

Even James and Remus looked like they were going to explode at any given moment, each only being able to hold themselves back at a bit of personal guilt, but it was quickly waning.

Harry just looked around at all of them, hurt and confused as to what had his family so upset. When he gently touched his mum on the shoulders, she came out of her rage a bit, enough to go on anyways.

**Harry was finally about to lose his temper, and opened his mouth to argue, before Ron kicked him.**

"Probably for the best," Remus sighed, "don't give him a real excuse to go after you."

"He obviously doesn't need one," James growled.

**Ron quietly warned Harry that was a bad idea, they didn't want to see what worse thing Snape might do. When they were finally climbing back up the stairs after class,**

"Thank you," Lily breathed, knowing full well she couldn't have handled another paragraph of that.

**Harry's feelings were as low as they could get. He'd lost two points for Gryffindor in his first week**

All three boys then snorted, genuinely amused this was what had Harry's spirits down.

"Please," James sighed, "I lost ten in my first ever class by asking Slughorn if his moustache was hiding tusks."

Harry blinked, very confused by this, but it made Lily laugh again and say, "Oh yes, I remember that. Slughorn always did like cheek, but never, it seemed, from you."

"It might have had something to do with the fact that James resented his little Slug Club initiation," Sirius said wisely, "as James really didn't want to be invited to another, he made a bit of an arse of himself."

"And it just got worse as time went on," Remus laughed.

**and wondered why Snape hated him so much.**

"That's my fault, I'm afraid," James said with a grimace.

"Our fault," Sirius butted in at once, "you were hardly ever alone after all."

"We couldn't very well let you after a point," Remus agreed, "or you likely would have been ambushed."

"I can't decide if that was really sweet, or just sad at how many enemies you lot made," Lily said, frowning at them.

"Go with sweet," Sirius said in what he clearly thought was a charming tone of voice, "it makes us look better."

Harry felt like he was finally understanding the underlying problem here, but still wanted to hear this story first hand. Ignoring that awful feeling that, yet again, he should know the answer anyways.

**Ron tried to cheer him up by pointing out that his elder brothers lost points for the house all the time, then asked if he could come meet Hagrid with Harry. Harry agreed and the two boys went out onto the grounds of the school, easily coming across Hagrid's cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. When they knocked, they heard deep booming barks from inside, and Hagrid's voice instructing what must be a dog named Fang to get back.**

"Oh, did Hagrid get a new dog?" Sirius asked brightly.

"I guess, time wise, poor Claw would have died," James said sadly.

"I'm sure this one is just as vicious," Remus said, chuckling.

**Hagrid got the door open, and a black boarhound was straining at his collar.**

Lily was pursing her lips, knowing full well the boys were joking about the vicious thing, but still feeling rather worried that Hagrid had to hold the dog back.

**When Hagrid did let him go, he lunged forward and began slobbering all over the boys in greeting.**

Now they were all laughing at this, Lily relaxing at once as she realized Fang was just a little puppy at heart.

"Better than Claw then," Sirius laughed, "he just loved sticking his nose up our-"

"Okay Sirius," James said quickly, "we know, I promise, we remember."

**Harry introduced Ron while Hagrid made them a cup of tea and put some rock cakes on a plate.**

"Rock cakes?" Lily asked in confusion.

The others shrugged, sure they knew Hagrid in passing and liked him well enough, they travelled the grounds so much that they had struck up a few conversations and gotten to know his previous dog, but never well enough to be invited over.

**Hagrid took one look at Ron's hair and laughed about another Weasley on school grounds, then told them how he spent half his life chasing the twins away from the forest. The rock cakes Hagrid served were shapeless and the raisins in them were so hard Harry nearly broke a tooth over one.**

"Oh I see," Lily said, unable to help laughing a bit, "Hagrid must not be a very good cook."

**But Harry and Ron enjoyed the rest of their time there as they talked about all of their classes. Both boys laughed when Hagrid referred to Filch as an old git.**

"Now I wonder where he could have heard that," James said with high exaggeration as he eyed Sirius, who smiled unabashedly.

**And expressed his desire to sick Fang on Mrs. Norris, since she always followed him around when he went up to the school.**

"Now that's just rude," Lily said, frowning.

"Hagrid clearly doesn't know that a good way to get a cat to stop following you is to bark at it a few times," Sirius said wisely.

"I highly doubt anybody but you four would know that," Lily said right back.

**Harry mentioned Snape's class to Hagrid, and again voiced the question of why Snape hated him so much, but Hagrid denied it, asking why would he?**

"Oh, he knows exactly why," Remus said, frowning a bit.

"Though I can't blame him for not telling," James said sadly, "I guess Hagrid doesn't want you to start out hating one of your teachers."

"But you are still going to tell me yourselves right?" Harry persisted.

Still not looking happy about it, James promised he would try.

**Yet Hagrid was about as good as Quirrell at evading the subject, as he quickly changed topics to Ron's older brother Charlie.**

"And as subtle as ever," Sirius chuckled.

**Harry suspected Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose**

"Cotton on to that have you?" James said weakly.

**but instead turned his attention to an edition of the Daily Prophet Hagrid had lying around, which was still talking about the break in at Gringotts, which had the date of July 31st on it.**

"Really?" They all said at once, taking note now that this had happened on Harry's birthday, the day he was at Gringotts. All four frowned now, very glad Hagrid had been with him. If it really had been Dark wizards, then they would have liked nothing more than to get their hands on Harry.

Still, they managed to comfort themselves by thinking this must have happened much later, after Harry had long since left Diagon Alley, so none of them said anything more of it.

**Harry exclaims to Hagrid that this had happened on his birthday, that this could have happened while they were there!**

"Oh please don't say that," Lily said looking almost faint at the idea.

**Hagrid definitely wouldn't meet Harry's eyes this time.**

"So he knows?" James yelped in shock.

"It was the package he took out?" Sirius said, looking wide eyed.

"What on earth did Dumbledore have him pick up?" Remus demanded.

Lily bit her lip hard to stop herself from blurting out the next question, 'why was it suddenly that a door was being bared off that same year?' No, it couldn't be possible Dumbledore would hide something that Dark wizards wanted in a school full of children. That was dangerous beyond anything else there.

Instead, she pressed on quickly, hoping Hagrid would once again make a stab at changing the subject.

Harry on the other hand looked like he was going to be sick, the constant feeling of pain building up in his head getting worse with all these questions he should have been able to answer, and quickly zoned in on the sound of his mother's voice as a distraction.

**Harry couldn't help but wonder if this had something to do with that little package Hagrid had picked up.**

"It stands to reason, or just a really, really big fat coincidence," Remus muttered, mostly to himself.

**When they did leave Hagrid's to go back up to the castle for dinner, Harry was now loaded down with questions about this, and rock cakes Hagrid had offered that they'd been too polite to refuse. Had Hagrid taken that package out just in time before the thieves stole it? Where was the package now? Did Hagrid know something about Snape that he didn't want to tell Harry?**

"Most likely, I have a bad feeling I know the answer to that, and yes," Lily said wisely.

"What did you do with the rock cakes?" James asked loudly, really not wanting to think of Dark wizards bursting through the Hogwarts gates in search of this artifact that all this implied was now hanging around his son's school.

Harry gave himself a firm shake and said, "err, Ron and I left them by the fireplace, let them melt a bit and get all gooey again. Then we really did eat them, and they weren't bad then."

* * *

I should be studying for a test, hope you enjoy what I decided to do instead.


	10. THE MIDNIGHT DUEL

Harry really wanted to butt in and remind them that they'd promised him a response to Snape's attitude towards him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He still felt to shy, the ingrained nature of never being allowed to ask questions still winning out. Clearly it was a sore subject to all, so he decided to keep his mouth shut and just hope they would really tell him.

"My turn," James said eagerly, hoping a Quidditch match would come up soon, he doubted this book would take them through a week by week of the castle after all.

**Harry would never have believed he'd meet a boy he hated more than Dudley, but that was before he met Draco Malfoy.**

"I don't know," Sirius said, "I find it hard to believe that boy will do anything that will make me hate him more than that spoiled brat."

Harry was frowning, knowing full well he had a reason to be feeling like this, and yet not knowing why at the same time. He had no argument for Sirius then, so he let his dad keep going.

**Thankfully, the first year Gryffindor's only had to put up with the Slytherin's during the one potion class, so they didn't have to deal with him too much. At least not until they found a flyer advertising when they would be having their first flying lesson, and found the Gryffindors and Slytherin's would be learning together.**

"Why do they do that?" Remus groaned in disgust.

James on the other hand was delighted, his son had natural flying abilities, and he couldn't wait to read about it, no matter who would be watching.

"What I don't understand is why they have those lessons first year," Lily said "after all, you can't even join until second year. What's the point in one lesson practically a year before?"

"It's to gauge potential," Sirius said wisely.

**Harry lamented that this would be horrible, he had no desire to make a fool of himself on a broom in front of Malfoy.**

"Nonsense," Sirius said, siding with James on this one, "Harry's a natural, I'll bet you anything he picks up on it first try."

Harry looked far from reassured, and Lily shot the two very disgruntled looks and said, "and if he doesn't? What, are you going to laugh along with that Malfoy?"

Both boys looked shocked and hurt that Lily could ever think such a thing, and James was quick to say, "of course not, how could you think that? We're just confident in his abilities."

Lily ground her teeth in frustration, she was sure they hadn't gotten her point that they were setting Harry up for feeling bad about himself if they turned out to be wrong, but hoping she was wrong she decided to let James keep going.

**Whereas before Harry had been eagerly looking forward to this, now not so much. Ron was quick to reassure, saying how he was sure Harry would do just fine. Malfoy was probably just all talk whenever he boasted about his own Quidditch prows.**

James and Sirius exchanged uneasy looks, not having thought of that. Malfoy most likely did have his own broom at home, and had been able to fly for ages.

When they had spoken with such confidence, they had been speaking as if Harry had grown up as he should have, getting his own broom for his first birthday like Sirius fully intended, playing with a Quaffle in the yard like James had always planned. For that one brief moment, they had forgotten what was going to happen, and just went with what should have been.

James shook himself hard, forcing that empty feeling creeping up again to go away so he could read about his son.

**Malfoy seemed fairly confident of his abilities, telling the story as often as he could of the time he'd nearly escaped a Muggle helicopter.**

Sirius grimaced in disgust, hating that this seemed horribly familiar to what he used to do as well.

Lily was just impressed he knew what a helicopter was, and quickly whispered to James she'd explain it later.

**Many of the kids around school loved talking about Quidditch as well. Ron and their roommate Dean Thomas had already had an interesting sports conversation, Dean was a fan of soccer and had put up posters of his team. Ron couldn't see the appeal of a game with only one ball where no one could fly.**

"See," James said loudly, "I'm not the only one who thinks that!"

"I don't force you to follow it," Lily said patiently.

**Harry had seen Ron peering curiously at Dean's poster of his sports team West Ham, where the players of course didn't move as it was a Muggle poster.**

Remus laughed to himself, remembering both James and Sirius doing that to many of his photos.

**Neville on the other hand had never been on a broom, apparently his grandmother had never allowed it. Harry felt he understood this reason, as Neville seemed rather accident prone. Hermione, too, seemed just as nervous as Neville about the prospect of flying, since that wasn't something you could learn from a book.**

"Poor dear," Lily said sadly, she couldn't blame the girl one bit, she had never been one for flying either.

**Not that she hadn't tried, as she bored them all stupid with facts she'd learned from a book called Quidditch Through the Ages.**

"Oh, come on now Harry, that's like the one book in that library that's useful," Sirius sighed.

"By that point I was just bored by whatever she said," Harry said, frowning to himself. The feelings he had now were of annoyance at such a know it all girl, but Harry had been so sure of his feeling earlier. Had his gut feeling been wrong, and he wasn't friends with her?

**While Neville hung on her every word, hoping for some advice how to not make a fool of himself today, everyone else was ignoring her and having breakfast. Harry hadn't had any mail aside from Hagrid's note, something Malfoy seemed to have noticed. He could often be seen gloating as his own eagle owl brought him packages from home full of sweets, which he opened gloatingly for all to see.**

"Show off," James said in disgust. Yes his parents had done this as well, but he'd never gloated over the fact.

**Neville got some mail as well, a note from his grandmother. He opened it curiously and found a glass ball the size of a large marble, which seemed to be full of white smoke. He told the others it was called a Remembrall.**

"Oh those things are so useless," Remus said, shaking his head.

"Why's that?" Harry asked.

"The smoke inside it turns red when you've forgotten something, so it's constantly red, because you always forget something," Sirius said.

Harry still looked confused, so Remus explained properly, "Whether it's something like forgetting your homework, or simply forgetting what you had for dinner last night, it doesn't tell you what you've forgotten. So essentially the smoke will always be red."

"Oh," Harry said, then he frowned and began rubbing his temple again. There was something he should remember about Neville's Remembrall, but what? Sighing in frustration he simply thanked them and then asked his father to go on.

**Explaining to the others it was designed to help you remember things by turning red, and even as he was holding it, it did indeed change colors. Neville was stumped on what that could be, when Draco Malfoy came over**

"Why?" All four adults said in shock.

"Those tables are at opposite ends of the hall," Remus said.

"Looking for a fight I'm sure," James muttered.

**and snatched the orb from Neville's hand.**

"Really now," Lily said, "did he think he could get away with that? In the Great Hall? Where all of the teachers in the castle are?"

"Intelligence never ran in the Malfoy line," Sirius said in what he clearly thought was an intelligent tone of voice.

**Harry and Ron got to their feet at once. They'd been itching for a fight with this boy, but Professor McGonagall was there in a second, able to scent trouble faster than any teacher in the school.**

Lily didn't even begrudge them this, it was after all Malfoy who had picked that fight.

The other three boys had no problems with this whatsoever.

**She demanded to know what was going on, and Malfoy quickly lied in saying he was just looking at it as he dropped the ball back on the table and skulked away.**

Now they all snorted in disbelief, as if any teacher would believe that.

**When the time came, the Gryffindor's all made their way down to the grounds where there lesson was planned and found twenty brooms waiting for them, the Slytherins students already gathered. Harry had heard older students talk about these particular old brooms, how some of them vibrated horribly or flew slightly to the left.**

"Those are the nice ones," Sirius said in disgust, "I got one that rolled constantly."

**Their teacher was Madam Rolanda Hooch, who briskly instructed them on what they needed to do. Everyone was to stand by a broomstick, hold out their right hand, and say up. Harry's broom responded instantly**

"Yes!" James and Sirius shouted with glee, they just knew Harry would be a natural, how could he not?

James read on quickly now, wanting to hear first-hand how much his son loved flying.

**but his was one of the few that did. Hermione's merely twitched, and Neville's hadn't even done that. Harry speculated that maybe brooms were like horses, who could sense fear, because the quiver in Neville's voice made it quite clear he wanted to keep both feet on the ground.**

"That's a fascinating insight," Lily said, puzzling over this, "since all magical objects do at least form some mind of their own after a time, but I don't think anyone's ever conducted a study."

"More projects for you then dear," James said, grinning over at his wife.

**Madam Hooch then showed them the proper way to mount a broom without sliding around, walking around and correcting when needed on their grips. Harry and Ron were pleased when she told Malfoy he'd been doing it wrong for years.**

Sirius and James couldn't help but give vindictive grins at this, that boy was clearly going to be trouble for Harry, so any victory now would be savored.

"How can you grip a broom wrong though?" Harry asked, trying to picture it in his head. "Don't you just sort of, hold on? How would she even know he'd been doing it wrong for years?"

Sirius was more than eager to explain, "there's different ways to grip a broom just as there are different ways to kick or throw a ball to get a certain spin on it. Just for the hovering you were doing, you'd only need a fairly loose grip, and for Malfoy to be holding however wrong he was, she would have known that was the grip he used for everything, meaning he must have been doing it wrong for some time."

Harry's eyes sparked with interest, he dearly wanted to sit around and discuss this type of thing for ages, but relented that they could wait for a better time.

**Then she instructed the class that on her command, they were to kick off of the ground and hover for a moment. Perhaps fearing on being left behind, Neville kicked off the ground almost at once, and his broom began floating high into the air. Twenty feet later, Harry could just spot Neville's white face peering back at the ground, then a horrible smack later and he was lying face down in the grass again.**

"Oh my gosh," Lily said in shock, pressing her hand to her mouth.

James gave a wince of remembered pain, he had his fair share of injuries at school, falling off of brooms were always the worst.

"Why didn't Madam Hooch try to at least slow his fall?" Remus demanded.

Harry merely shrugged, he hadn't been watching her, so he had no idea.

**The broomstick was still rising, and showing no signs of stopping.**

"Good riddance I say," Sirius grumbled.

**Madam Hooch was bent over Neville, inspecting him to find a broken wrist and encouraging him to get to his feet.**

They all released a breath of relief at that, Madam Pomfrey could fix that up in seconds, and it really could have been worse.

**She told the rest of the class not to move a muscle as she took him up to the Hospital Wing, if they did she would see them expelled.**

Now all four adults were pursing their lips, knowing full well that something was likely to happen with this group being left unattended.

**Student and teacher left quickly, and not seconds after they were out of sight Malfoy burst into laughter,**

"How is that funny?" Lily snapped in disgust.

James was frowning severely as well, there really was no way that could have been funny to anyone.

**mocking him for crying. Parvati Patil stood up for him, snapping that Malfoy should shut up.**

"Sweet kid," Remus said smiling. They didn't even know if the two were friends, but it was like Gryffindor's in general to stand up for each other.

**A girl from Slytherin, Pansy Parkinson, turned on her, mocking her for having a crush on Neville.**

"You don't have to have a crush on a boy to defend them," Lily growled.

**Malfoy wasn't paying any attention, he'd caught sight of Neville's Remembrall which must have fallen out of his pocket.**

"That little prat," Lily snapped in disgust. First he insulted the boy, who had done nothing to him as far as she knew, now he took something that didn't even belong to him. And for what? Just to rub it in that he had.

"I'm going to have to agree with you on that one," Sirius grumbled.

James, while as angry as the others, wasn't all that concerned. He was confident his son would stand up for his dorm mate.

**Harry at once told Malfoy to hand it over, making all the other students go quite to watch.**

"Atta boy Harry," all three boys said with glee.

Harry smiled round at them all.

**Malfoy just gave a nasty smile back, stating that if Harry wanted it, he'd have to go up a tree to get it, then he grabbed his broom and hopped into the air. Harry was dismayed to see that Malfoy hadn't been all lies, he really did know how to fly.**

Now all the adults looked rather concerned for their own boy. Harry had one of two options now, to back down and look foolish, or attempt to get the Remembrall back on a broom he had no idea how to use.

It was a no win situation either way for him, and they only hoped a teacher would come along soon.

**Malfoy taunted Harry from the air, provoking Harry into mounting his own broom.**

"No," Lily shouted loudly, "Harry, you could fall off and break much more than your wrist."

Harry gave her a caring smile, still not quite used to the fact that anybody cared if he was injured at all, but then gently reminded her that this had already happened, and he was sitting here fine now.

The other boys still looked just as concerned, and rather annoyed that something as important as Harry's first flying lesson had been ruined like this, and James quickly read on.

**Hermione tried to stop him, reminding that Madam Hooch had told them not to, that they would all get in trouble,**

"Oh, I doubt she'd punish everyone out there. Just the two on the brooms," Remus said fairly.

**but Harry wasn't listening. He kicked off from the ground, and found that he seemed to have an instinct for what to do.**

"Amazing," James and Sirius said with high pride. Despite the situation he'd had to learn it in, they couldn't think of many more things that would please them more than hearing Harry was a natural on a broom.

**He pulled his broom around sharply, causing Ron to whoop with joy on the ground.**

Both boys looked like they wanted to do more than whoop with joy, but James was too eager to read then to act on it.

Lily and Remus felt a high sense of pride at Harry's actions, though still some residual fear that Harry could get in trouble, or worse injured.

Harry himself just felt euphoric at the memories of his first flying lesson, though he couldn't help but think there was going to be more to this story.

**Harry tells him to hand over the Remembrall, or Harry will take it. Malfoy's bravado was beginning to fade,**

"He would be," Sirius said with glee, "Malfoy thought he was a muggle who had no idea what he was doing. Proved him wrong though!"

**but he still managed to taunt Harry to come get it. Harry somehow knew what to do.**

"Inheritance," James said with glee.

**Harry shot towards Malfoy, who only just avoided the impact. Harry taunts him again, saying how Malfoy didn't have Crabbe and Goyle up here to save his neck. Malfoy must have realized this too, because he instead tosses the ball high in the air and streaks back towards the ground.**

"Oh no," all four adults groaned, Neville's Remembrall was broken for sure. Either that or Harry would gain a severe injury trying to catch it.

**Harry turned his broom down for a dive after the little object,**

Lily was worrying her lip to blood, oh she really hoped Harry wouldn't be too badly injured when he slammed face first into the ground. A broken nose was the worst she could deal with right now.

The other three were simply curious how close Harry would get to catching it, having faith that any of the teachers there could deal with minor injuries, which was all Harry should get from this.

**managed to catch it a foot from the ground,**

"He caught it," they all yelped in shock, turning wide eyed to Harry.

Harry was just grinning to himself, but Lily was still worried sick, so he'd caught it a foot from the ground, that meant he still had to pull up in time to avoid injuries, and it would be remarkable for him to have those kinds of reflexes without any practice.

**and still had time enough to pull up and land safely on the ground, the Remembrall in hand.**

"Yes!" All four cried with glee.

"Oh you'll be a shoe in next year for Quidditch!" All three boys added.

"That's what you're concerned with," Lily said, still a little bug eyed, "I'm just happy he wasn't hurt."

"Oh, he would never had been hurt too bad from that stunt," Remus brushed off, "I was a bit concerned he might get in trouble, but I guess-"

"Not so fast Remus," James said frowning down at the book before reading aloud.

**Then from behind, Harry hears his name being shouted, and his heart plummets when he realizes it's Professor McGonagall coming towards him.**

"Aw," all three groaned, Harry was sure to get a detention for this.

Lily felt like it was justly deserved, hopefully now in the future he might listen to the rules, even if Harry's actions now were well intended.

Harry was now rubbing his temple in frustration again, there was something important about Professor McGonagall showing up. He didn't really think it was detention either, but what? So he asked his father to go on.

**She's muttering to herself how, in all her year's at Hogwarts she'd never seen that,**

"Really now," Sirius snickered, "that's the worst you've seen in Hogwarts, has she really forgotten us so easily?"

Remus had his lips pursed, trying not to burst out laughing at the genuinely offended look on his friends face.

**saying how he could have broken his neck.**

"Exactly what I was thinking," Lily muttered furiously.

**Both Ron and Padma Patil try to stick up for Harry and tell what happened, but she silences both of them and instructs Harry to follow her back up to the castle.**

All four of them frowned now, it wasn't like McGonagall to not hear all sides of the story. Perhaps she was taking Harry to her office to get the full story without an audience, that wasn't out of the norm.

**As Harry followed after her, he caught the bullies all looking very triumphant, and Harry couldn't help but agree with what he was sure they were thinking, he was about to be expelled for this.**

The three boys cracked up laughing at that, even Lily giggled a bit. At Harry's confused look Lily managed to explain, "Harry dear, if these four never got expelled for everything they were caught doing, let alone the things that couldn't be proven that they did, a little thing like this is not going to get you expelled."

Harry was looking around at the others smiling and said, "I'd really like to hear all of your years at Hogwarts. You seemed to have gotten up to a lot."

"You've no idea," Remus said wisely.

"We've only scratched the surface," Sirius agreed.

**He could picture it now, how he'd have to pack up his bags and turn back up on the Dursleys steps.**

Now all four of them frowned with disgust, more than thankful this wouldn't even be an issue, hopefully ever again.

**Harry followed after her as they began marching through the school, and he wondered if they were going to Dumbledore's office.**

"Definitely not a big enough offense," James said knowledgeably.

"Yeah, it took us blowing up a school corridor for that to happen to us," Sirius agreed.

Harry blinked spastically for a moment, but James was already moving on.

**His mind went to Hagrid, who had been expelled but allowed to stay on as gamekeeper, and Harry wondered if Hagrid might train him as an assistant.**

"While I wouldn't blame you for wanting that job," Remus agreed, "I doubt that's going to be necessary."

**It wasn't a pleasant prospect, thinking about watching his friends grow up to be wizards while Harry followed Hagrid around carrying his bag.**

"Bit melodramatic much," Lily said in amusement, Harry's offense wasn't nearly as bad as all of this.

It broke James heart that he'd rather be Hagrid's assistant then live at home, but kept going.

**Professor McGonagall stopped off outside a classroom, poked her head in, and asked Professor Flitwick if she could borrow wood.**

"What?" They all asked in confusion.

"I have no idea what that's about," Remus said, when the two boys looked at him like he had an answer.

Harry was rubbing his temple in agitation again, Wood. Was that a name? He felt like that was a name, but who? Or perhaps a cane, as some form of punishment, that seemed more like what his background had taught him.

**Harry's first thought was to wonder if McGonagall was going to cane him or something.**

All four adults turned sharply to Harry, but he threw his hands up and said quickly this time "The school used it as punishment once or twice, it's legal so long as they have parent consent. Which they did."

They were all still frowning but since it was a teacher that had delivered the punishment, which they still disapproved of, at least it wasn't as bad. The teacher would at least be expected to do it with restraint. James dearly wanted to ask what he had been caned for, but he decided if Harry didn't offer the information, it would just make him angrier when he found out.

**Turns out Wood was another student, who came out of the classroom looking understandably confused.**

"Oh," they all said, even more confused than before, but it was better than caneing.

**She leads both boys to an empty classroom that only held Peeves.**

"Wow, she didn't even take you to her own office," James said in surprise.

"Should I be worried you know that right off the bat?" Lily asked.

"No," all three said at the same time. "Besides," Remus continued, "if there's one place in the castle Peeves has never entered, it's the Professor's office. He does have some boundaries."

**McGonagall tells Peeves to get out, which he does with much cursing.**

"See," Sirius seconded his friend, "maybe not much, but he does show a glimmer of respect to the teachers."

"If cursing is 'a glimmer of respect' to you, I'd hate to see you on a bad day," Lily grumbled.

**McGonagall turns her attention back on the boys and tells Oliver Wood that she's found him a Seeker.**

"What!" All five of them said, James and Sirius looked like they were going to faint.

Lily reached over and snatched the book away from him to read that one for herself. No way would McGonagall reward a student for breaking the rules, especially in this manner!

Harry and Remus both sat there, looking like stunned fish.

"A Seeker!" Sirius said, coming out of his shock first, "they let a first year join the team, as a Seeker!"

"Well he's got the right build," James agreed, giving himself a small shake and eyeing his son, he was even slighter than himself honestly.

"Really?" Lily demanded, "That's your response."

"What would you have them do?" Remus asked her, "be upset? No, I think this is their proudest moment yet."

Lily looked round at all three boys, then turned on Harry and said, "please tell me this isn't for real."

Harry had gotten over his stunned feeling and was now grinning as widely as the others, and responded, "oh this is real Mum. I'm positive of that."

Grunting and shoving the book away from her as if suddenly deceased, James took it back all too eagerly and read on, happier than he'd been since they started this book.

**Wood went from puzzled to delighted at once, demanding to know if she was serious.**

"Don't," Remus snapped at his friend "I want to hear this." Sirius, amazingly, shut his mouth and nodded eagerly.

**McGonagall agreed she was, and Harry was now watching them curiously as he realized he wasn't about to be expelled.**

"This is the opposite of being expelled," Remus laughed in delight.

**She described how Harry had caught the Remembrall, and Wood looked elated.**

"I'm guessing they didn't have a Seeker for the team then," James said, going bug eyed at this realization.

"No, Wood told me later that night that their previous Seeker, Charlie Weasley in fact, had graduated and they'd have to hold trials that weekend. Apparently looking for a new position is awful though."

"I hear that," Sirius agreed, he hated the trails.

**Wood asks Harry if he's ever seen a game of Quidditch, while McGonagall tells Harry that Wood is the captain of the Gryffindor team.**

"We gathered that bit," Lily muttered snidely, still not happy about this.

**Wood is now examining Harry critically, appraising that he's the right build for a Seeker, and discussing the types of broom he should use.**

"Yes," James and Sirius cheered, well of course Harry would have to use something other than those school brooms, which meant that Harry got to bend yet another rule around.

"This is completely ridiculous," Lily seethed, "I swear if Harry's head swells to your size James-"

"Really now Lily, he's sitting right there," Sirius cut in.

Her eyes swiveled to her son, who was looking rather anxious that his mum was so upset, so she sucked in a deep breath and said, "I'm sorry Harry. I've just lived seven years of my life watching this lot get away with breaking school rules, and I don't want you to think that it's okay."

Harry pursed his lips and said slowly, "well since I can't exactly say whether or not I have, can you just trust me when I say it didn't go to my head if I did?" Of this he was positive, since even now he cringed at the idea of any more attention than he was getting even now.

Lily nodded and told him that yes, she would believe him with that. Crisis averted, James still eagerly read on.

**McGonagall agrees Harry will have to bend that rule, how it will be worth it after the last match they'd had against Slytherin where they were flattened.**

All four Quidditch boys winced at that.

**McGonagall turned her attention on Harry again and said she wants to hear that he's going to be training hard, or she may reconsider punishing him.**

Lily still couldn't help but gnash her teeth as she pointed out, "no one even asked you if you wanted the position! She just said you've got the gig, then says she's going to punish you if you aren't training!"

"Lily," Remus sighed at her. "I am positive if Harry had declined wanting to join the team, she still may have let the whole thing go she was so impressed."

Lily muttered something else under her breath that James chose to ignore.

**Then she smiles and tells him how proud his father would be, since he was an excellent Quidditch player himself.**

"I know that now," Harry said, beaming at his dad, "but it was quite a shock to hear then. What position did you play anyways?"

"Chaser," he said with pride.

"Did you play Remus?" Harry asked him, he seemed interested in the game, but he didn't seem as obsessed as his two friends. He didn't need to ask his Mum, she had made her opinions clear.

"No," he admitted, "but I did start commentating the games starting my fifth year. So I will admit I got quite into it."

"He's being modest," Sirius chuckled, "Remus got quite the vocabulary during the games."

"Just keep reading," he said, blushing slightly.

**An unknown voice declares 'you're joking!'**

"No she wasn't," James said, frowning at the text, "I was Captain for two years! That's no joke."

"I'm sure he doesn't mean you," Lily said, "just keep going."

**Then the narrative returns to state that time has passed, it's now dinner.**

"See," Lily said patiently.

James was still frowning, why would Harry say that McGonagall was joking?

**Harry had been telling Ron what happened when he'd been taken away, and Ron had been the one to exclaim that Harry was joking, then repeated Harry's new title as Seeker.**

"Oh," James brightened, "Ron said 'your joking' about not getting in trouble, and making the team."

"I wish Harry was joking," Lily grumbled to herself so that the boys couldn't hear.

**Harry agrees his surprise, stating how it had been a century since a first year had made the house team.**

"Oh yeah," Remus nodded, "I remember reading that somewhere. Another first year made it onto the team, he was a Hufflepuff I think, and he did something on his school broom" he trailed off from there, still puzzling out the details.

James said with real curiosity, "I'm sure you read it somewhere, so let us know when you remember."

**Harry informed his friend how he was to start training next week, but Ron shouldn't tell anyone else, because it was supposed to be a secret.**

Now all four adults cracked up at that. Keep a secret? At Hogwarts? The only secret that they knew for a fact had been kept was Remus', and even then rumors abound had floated around him.

**Then Fred and George made their appearance, praising Harry for making the team, and informing him that they were Beaters.**

"Sweet," Sirius grinned, "these two just get better and better!"

Lily kept it to herself that she had been thinking about bringing Harry around to the Weasley's soon, she didn't want James or Sirius coming and encouraging what was obviously mischievous behavior.

**Fred is now convinced that they would win the Quidditch cup this year, they hadn't won since Charlie had left.**

"I thought Charlie only left the year before?" Remus asked.

"He did," Harry explained, "I asked about that later, they didn't win the last year Charlie was there, but his sixth year. That's what they meant."

**Then the twins excuse themselves because their friend Lee Jordan claimed to have found a new secret passageway.**

"Oh," the three boys said indulgently, they sincerely doubted it was new to them.

**His twin returns that it was probably the one they'd found their first week there.**

Now all three were chuckling, oh these twins were perfect substitutes for the Marauders.

**The twins had only been gone for a moment when Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle made an appearance.**

"Come to gloat over a failed victory," James grumbled to himself.

**Malfoy wants to know when Harry's going to be sent out of school, and Harry notes that Malfoy was a lot braver now that he had his little friends back with him.**

"That's right pup," Sirius cheered, "don't you take his crap."

**Harry reflected there was nothing little about Crabbe or Goyle, but since they were in a room full of teachers, no one could do much. Malfoy however seems offended, snapping he'd take on Harry, and challenged him to a wizards duel.**

Lily was pursing her lips with distaste, while the other three were just curious at Harry's response.

**Ron says yes at once, declaring he'd be Harry's second.**

"Ron," Lily balked in annoyance, "what if Harry had wanted to say no?"

"Oh I didn't," Harry said, "I was actually very pleased he'd stepped in." Then he hesitated and asked, "What's a second?"

All three boys looked like they were going to crack up laughing at any moment, but Remus said, "It's your backup person in case one of you die."

At Harry's bug eyed look, Sirius really did lose it and started rolling around laughing, causing the baby in his arms to giggle up a storm as well.

James was quick to say at Harry's startled look, "oh don't worry, you lot probably don't even know any defensive spells at this point. It's more a matter of honor that you show up and, honestly, you'll probably just start punching each other."

"You approve of this?" Lily snapped at him.

"Sure," he said with a shrug, "if Harry had said no, he'd look weak. At least this way, Harry will be able to build a bit of character."

"Character my arse," Lily snarled, "he just got away with breaking one rule, now he's going to sneak around the castle at night. He probably thinks he can get away with that as well."

"Mum," Harry said in exasperation, "I promise, I'm not going to go around and start breaking every rule there." He was too afraid of being expelled and sent back home honestly. "Dad's right. Malfoy had it coming to him, and this was a way for me to show him up." By the end of this he was frowning and rubbing his temple again. There was something important about this night. Something about a dog? But what? Fang perhaps? Lily still didn't look particularly pleased, but Harry just sighed and asked his father to go on.

**Malfoy agrees and tells them to meet him at the trophy room at midnight, since that place was always unlocked.**

"True that," Sirius agreed, a little reluctantly.

**When Malfoy leaves Harry asks what a wizard duel is, and what's a second? Ron explains that to him, and then Harry asks what he should do if he waves his wand and nothing happens. Ron suggests Harry should just punch Malfoy.**

"Liking your friend more and more," Sirius chuckled, having given James that advice on more than one occasion.

**Then from behind the boys, they are once again interrupted by Hermione Granger. Ron exclaims how they can't eat in peace.**

Remus was chuckling a bit at that, he did have a point. Who got interrupted three times in one meal?

"The answer to that is no by the way," James told Harry.

**Hermione ignored Ron and instead told them how she couldn't help but overhear them talking to Malfoy.**

"Bet you could," Sirius muttered, he hated nosy know it all's, having dealt with a few of those himself.

**Ron muttered 'bet you could.'**

Sirius blinked and James and Remus busted out laughing at this parallel.

**Hermione still ignored him and told them they shouldn't be doing it, that they'll lose points for Gryffindor when they get caught.**

Lily was smiling to herself, privately agreeing with this girl, but as all four boys in the room were grumbling about her, she decided to keep quiet.

**Harry told her it wasn't any of her business.**

"Well they've got a point," James agreed with the pair.

**Harry lay awake that night in his dormitory long after Dean and Seamus went to sleep, Neville hadn't come back from the Hospital Wing yet.**

"What?" All four adults said.

"Did Madam Pomfrey leave the school?" Remus asked with real concern.

"Any decent medical wizard should have been able to fix a break," Lily said, worrying her lip, "he shouldn't have been gone this long."

James and Sirius were both exchanging worried looks as well. Hoping that Harry would find out why, James quickly read on.

**Ron had spent the whole day giving Harry fighting advice such as, if he tries to curse him, Harry should duck, because he didn't know the counter curse.**

"Well he's not wrong," Sirius laughed.

**Harry did acknowledge there was a good chance they would be caught out of bed, and felt like they were pushing their luck breaking another school rule that day,**

'At least you acknowledge this' Lily thought.

**but Harry was not going to pass up the opportunity to get back at Malfoy. At half past eleven Ron whispered that they'd better get going.**

"Good," all three boys agreed, at Lily's still sever face Remus said, "since they're going, they might as well get there early and have the advantage."

She rolled her eyes at this while James and Sirius were privately laughing in agreement.

**The two of them slipped downstairs, but didn't even make it to the portrait hole before someone whispered behind them that it was unbelievable they were doing this.**

"Who's that?" Sirius asked in concern, remembering at once Percy the Prefect.

"You're not going to like the answer," Harry muttered to himself, still rubbing his temple a bit, he really should remember something about this night.

**It was Hermione Granger.**

"You're right Harry," James said, "we don't like the answer."

All three boys were frowning. This girl was reminding them more of Severus then Malfoy was. Malfoy may be a bully and an obvious git, but he was harmless so far.

This Hermione on the other hand was very clearly nosy, and for a group that had some very private secrets, nosy was the worst trait you could have. It was one of the reasons they had hated Snape so much, he was always trying to poke into their business.

Harry was still feeling rather defensive of this girl, yes right now she seemed awful, but he really thought that there had been something. A recognition in her name that meant the same thing to him as Ron's name. Friend. Had he been wrong? It seemed that way, he would just have to wait it seemed.

**She tells them that she almost tattled on them to Ron's older brother Percy.**

"Thank Merlin she didn't," James muttered, "or this would have been even more of an offense."

**Harry and Ron decide to just ignore her and go outside the portrait hole, but Hermione continues following them, hissing at them like an angry goose.**

"To bad you couldn't turn her into one," Sirius grumbled.

**Going on about how they were going to lose all the points for Gryffindor, when she'd just gained some for knowing about something in class.**

"And now she's bragging to boot," Remus said in disbelief.

**When they continue to ignore her, she finally gives up and tries to go back inside, but turns to find the Fat Lady's gone.**

"Now that's sweet justice," James cackled, unable to count the times this had happened to them, "now she'll be caught out as well."

**She changes her mind and decides she's going to tag along with them,**

"Oh," Sirius deflated, "hadn't thought she'd follow them."

"Really, she's never gone to long, it would have been better if she'd just stayed behind," Remus agreed.

Through all of this, Lily did agree to an extent that this girl was being just a bit overbearing. Yet, she still felt Hermione had the right intentions, and she most likely would have done the same thing given the chance. Not to the Marauders, she would have let them get in trouble without batting an eye, but to a lonely first year, sure.

**and if they get caught, they can just back her up that it wasn't her fault.**

James balked at such blatant pig-headedness.

Sirius actually put his face in his hands in disgust.

**Ron began to shout at her that she's out of her mind, but Harry snaps at both of them to shut it, that he'd heard something.**

"Who?" The three boys said sharply, despite their blasé nature about this little act, they still didn't want Harry to get caught.

**It sounded like snuffling.**

"Snuffling?" Lily asked, she didn't know anyone at the castle who snuffled.

**Ron asks if it was Mrs. Norris.**

"Mrs. Norris doesn't snuffle," Sirius said in surprise, "she sneaks up on people," but then again, he couldn't think of who did snuffle.

**It wasn't Mrs. Norris, but in fact Neville.**

"Is he alright?" Lily asked with high pitched concern, what on earth was he doing.

James read on quickly.

**He was on the floor, apparently asleep until they reached him.**

"Was he really so tired he couldn't make it back?" Remus asked, part concerned, part amused. He'd fallen asleep in some pretty random places around the castle to.

**He exclaimed how happy he is to see them, that he'd forgotten the password and couldn't go in.**

"Oh," all four said in surprise, but at least this cleared things up, and they knew he wasn't in trouble.

**Ron tells him the password, but then informed him that the Fat Lady's gone and they've got to get. Then Harry asks how Neville's arm was.**

All four adults smiled at this, Harry was such a sweet kid.

**Neville shows them how Madam Pomfrey had mended it, saying she'd done it in seconds.**

"Then why didn't he go to dinner, and go to the common room with everyone else?" Lily asked.

Remus snorted in amusement and told her, "she may have fixed it in a minute, but Madam Pomfrey is the biggest worry wort at that school. She would have kept him there for at least two hours checking him all over and making sure he didn't have any side effects, like shock, I could go on."

"I'm sure you could, considering you practically lived in that wing once a month," Sirius laughed.

**They begin to leave, but Neville exclaims that he wants to come, he didn't want to be there by himself. Ron glared at both him and Hermione and tells them if they get them all caught, he'd learn the curse of the bogies and use it on both of them.**

"That's an easy one," Remus smiled, "but very useful."

James snorted before he kept going.

**Hermione opened her mouth, perhaps to tell him how to do that curse,**

"Oh, I hope she did," Sirius laughed.

**but Harry told them all to be quiet and they made their way up a staircase and to the trophy room in silence.**

"Up?" Lily asked, "Gryffindor Tower's on the top floor, what on earth were you coming up from?"

"We found a secret passage and wound up on the fifth floor," Harry told her distractedly, there was something about going to the trophy room that was really bugging his mind, like he should be angry about his visit. Perhaps Malfoy insults him more than duels him?

**When Harry entered he took out his wand, in case Malfoy jumped in and started duelling at once.**

"That a boy!" James said with pride, still grinning like a fool.

**As the time goes by, Ron whispers how perhaps Malfoy had chickened out.**

"Oh I hope so," Sirius snorted "that's teasing material for the rest of his life."

**Then they hear a noise, and it's definitely not Malfoy. It's another voice, telling someone to sniff around the corners.**

"Why that little-" Lily began before cutting herself off and hissing under her breath. The boys couldn't decide what they were more shocked at. This utter display of an underhanded deed, or Lily cursing him out for it.

They were quick to get over their shock though, and added several other words in agreement.

Harry was looking around at all of them, mostly his mum in confusion. "I don't get it, you said you didn't want me out at night, why would Malfoy doing this bother you?" True he was as mad as them, but he never would have expected this.

"It's the principle of the matter," Lily snorted, "if you're going to break the rules, fine, but at least have the courage to face them. That was the most cowardice thing I'd ever seen."

James was now smiling to himself, realizing this was one of the many reasons she had ended up in Gryffindor.

Sirius verbally agreed with Lily, adding on, "yeah, even Snape would never amount to this. At least that git would show up."

Remus was shaking his head in disgust and said, "honestly, I half expected him to show up with both friends to try and outnumber you, but never this."

Still disgusted, James quickly read on, hoping Harry would have the sense to hide and sneak away, then again, with Mrs. Norris there, that would be even more difficult.

**It was Filch with Mrs. Norris. The four of them quickly backed out of the room before he could catch sight of them, trying to hide.**

"Anyone would hide from your ugly mug," Sirius huffed.

**Harry tried to lead them in the opposite direction of Filches voice, but Neville managed to trip and crash into Ron, the pair falling into a suit of armor.**

"Oh no," all five of them said, wanting dearly to strangle the pair of them, but James read on quickly before anyone could say this.

**Harry lost his mind and yelled run at the top of his lungs.**

"Oh, I'm sure that helped," Remus muttered.

**The four of them make a run for it, tearing through corridors and secret passages without paying any attention to where they were headed, and wound up outside of the Charms classroom on the third floor.**

"Very clever," James breathed, "accidental I'm sure, but still good use of the secret corridors all the same."

"Let's just hope Filch didn't manage to follow them," Sirius agreed.

Lily had her lips pursed, unwilling to admit that she was very pleased indeed her son had gotten away with this.

**Harry hopes that they'd lost him, while Hermione pants that she told them so.**

"Is this really the time for 'I told you so's'?" Remus demanded.

**Ron urges that they should all head back to the tower now, while Hermione insists that Malfoy had tricked them.**

"Yes I gathered that for myself thanks," Harry grumbled to himself, not really liking this pointed out to him now any more than the 'I told you so.'

**Harry knows she's right, but doesn't say as much out loud.**

"Good idea," all three boys agreed.

**Instead he begins leading the way back to their rooms, when they run into Peeves.**

"Oh no," Lily groaned, unable to stop herself this time.

"So you really don't want them to get caught?" Sirius asked slyly.

"Certainly not in this manner," she told him, going a bit red in the face.

"Well they still might not," James said bracingly, "it all depends how you handle Peeves."

**The Poltergeist catches sight of them at once, and Harry begs him not to make any noise.**

"No," Sirius was the one to groan this time, "that man will forever do the opposite of what you ask of him."

"Well I didn't know that," Harry defended himself, still not feeling right. Could it be Filch caught up to them, and they were still going to get in trouble? No, this felt like something worse, but what?

**Peeves cackles, telling them that they shouldn't be out of bed, and Harry repeats how they'll go right to bed if Peeves doesn't say anything.**

"He still might not," Remus said slowly, "he'll get bored if you just go along and say 'Oh we don't care if we're caught' and stuff like that."

"This is Harry's first encounter with him though," James said slowly, "let's see if he thought to do that."

**Ron loses his patience and takes a swipe at Peeves.**

"No," all three of them said at once, oh now they were in for it.

**That was the wrong thing to do. Peeves began yelling at the top of his lungs that there were students out of bed down the charms corridor.**

This time Lily really did face palm.

**The four of them made a run for it, running into a locked door. Ron exclaims how they are now done for!**

Lily was far more concerned with them not getting caught to comment on how that was a bit melodramatic.

**Hermione uses a charm called Alohomora, which unlocks the door, and they all slip inside. Filch has arrived and demands to know where the students Peeves was shouting about are, quickly! Peeves says Filch has to say please.**

"Oh thank Merlin," James sighed in relief.

"Peeves isn't going to tell," Remus explained at Harry's and Lily's confused looks.

"Why on earth not?" Lily demanded, not willing to admit how relieved she felt.

"Cause he hates Filch more than anyone else in that school," Sirius said, "so he can't pass up the chance to mess with him."

"Though he may have told another teacher, maybe even Filch if he'd come up and said something besides 'Quick'," Remus agreed.

**Filch snaps at him to get a move on, but Peeves says he won't say a thing until Filch says please. Filch cracks and says please, and Peeves' response is to say 'nothing', just like he promised. Filch cursed him while the sound of Peeves going away could be heard.**

"Forever love that poltergeist," Sirius laughed.

**Harry had been listening to all of this so intently, he'd been ignoring Neville, who had been tugging insistently on his sleeve. Now that the threat of being caught was gone, Harry turns his attention around to see what Neville was so upset about, which turned out to be a living nightmare.**

"Don't tell me you walked into a teacher's midnight grading," Remus groaned, that really would be too much.

**Harry now saw quite clearly why the room they'd been trying to get in was locked. It was the forbidden corridor on the third floor,**

"What?" All four of them yelped in shock, okay that they hadn't seen coming.

**and it contained a three headed dog the size of the room.**

The longer James went on, the paler the whole room got. This was very clearly not one of Hagrid's animals like Fang, an overgrown puppy. No, this was a real beast, something that would surely eat their little Harry if he didn't get out of there, now.

"RUN!" Sirius yelled so loudly, he startled the baby. Remus got up and moved to sit beside Sirius, making goofy faces at the kid to calm themselves both down, while Sirius bounced him up and down.

James and Lily shrunk in a little closer to their Harry, taking what little comfort they could that he was alive and with all four limbs between them.

**There was no mistaking what those threatening growls meant as three pairs of eyes glared at the four students,**

"Cerberus," Remus muttered, unable to stop himself, he even kept mentally listing facts about the mythical beast, until James managed to continue with a shaking breath.

**Harry blindly went for the doorknob, deciding between death and being caught, he'd take being caught.**

Such was the fear in the room, after all just because Harry was okay didn't mean his friends were, and they had no guarantee that their boy didn't just witness a death at age eleven, no one could muster up a comment to that.

**They made it out of the room and began running, not really paying attention to where they were going,**

James kept reading in a hurried tone, wanting them all to get back to the magically protected common room before he could relax again.

**but didn't stop until they'd made it back to the painting hiding their dormitory. The Fat Lady is very startled to see them, demanding to know what they'd been up to,**

Sirius let out a bark like laughter, unable to contain his relief any longer, at their startled looks he explained, "oh, just surprised she would still bother asking that after the many times all the students have snuck out."

James shook his head, but began relaxing a bit. If that monster had somehow managed to chase them, it would have caught up to them by now he was sure. Now he just wanted a head count.

**but Harry ignores that and gives the password, leaving them free to enter. They collapse inside on large chairs, all sweating and in shock. Neville looked like he'd never speak again.**

Remus grimaced with sympathy, yeah he could understand that.

While the other two seemed more relaxed now, still on edge at such a near death threat, but more at ease, Lily and James weren't. It hadn't yet mentioned Hermione, had she somehow been left back there, had the dog gotten her? Despite her attitude, they did not want to hear that she hadn't made it back.

**Ron was the first to come back around, demanding to know what the school was thinking keeping a dog like that here. Hermione turned on him,**

"Oh thank goodness," both parents breathed.

The other three gave them odd looks, but Lily then surprised them by rounding on Harry and saying, "swear to me right now you never went near that thing again."

Harry went bug eyed at this, backpedaling away from her more in fear that he couldn't answer her then anything.

James clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder in reassurance before giving Lily the stank eye, "really love, I know you're as worried as the rest of us, but you know he can't do that."

Lily deflated at once and apologized, Harry accepting it instantly.

Remus was now frowning a bit, rubbing his jaw as he truly thought that over, "Ron has a point though, what on earth was Dumbledore thinking, keeping such a thing in the castle."

"Oh no," Sirius said, going as white as before, "oh Merlin no."

"What?" The other four said in real fear, he looked about ready to pass out.

"Think about it," he said in a whisper, after all he'd been calm the longest, so he'd had the most time to actually think on this. "Why would the dog be there? I was wondering that to, and the only thing I can think of is, what's new this year? Remember that grubby little package Dumbledore had Hagrid pick up, well did Hagrid ever say who it was going to be delivered to?"

"You're not suggesting-" Remus began, feeling a little sick himself.

"Oh you can't be," James blurted, looking from the book to his friend and back again as if wishing someone had lied to him.

"Dumbledore would never put the student's in danger like that," Lily began weakly.

"Got any other ideas?" He demanded of the room.

No one was noticing that Harry was going very pale himself, though for a different reason. No, he had promised he wouldn't continue digging into his memories, but oh how they were trying to force their way to the surface now. Sirius was right, his gut told him that, and he would just have to ignore the onslaught that was trying to shove its way forward for now.

The other four were still sitting there in stunned disbelief, so Harry said quietly, "I'm sure there's gotta be some reason for the dog being there. How about we just keep going, and if the dog's still there next year, then we can be more worried, yeah?"

"Next year," Lily said faintly, "I never want you going onto the third floor again, let alone in there next year to check on that thing."

Harry kept quiet in fear that his gut would blurt out that he was going to see that dog again, maybe even sooner than that.

**pointing out that they hadn't noticed what the dog was standing on. Harry simply states 'the floor?' They hadn't been paying much attention to its feet, as they'd been looking at the heads! Hermione snaps at them that the dog had been standing on a trapdoor, that it was obviously guarding something.**

"No," Remus groaned, placing his face in his hands and shaking it, "no, no, no, no-"

Sirius reached over and put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "It's alright Moony, I'm sure Harry will be fine."

"Oh it's not that," he said, without looking up, "I'm know for a fact Harry's just fine. No, I just can't believe you caught on to something before I did!"

At this, all tension finally left the room as the family on the couch burst out laughing at Sirius' face.

**She stood up then and declared that she was going to bed before something worse happened, like them getting expelled.**

"Run that by me again," Lily asked.

Only after James had reread that sentence, did she look to the ceiling in disbelief, while Sirius came out of his shock and said, "she really needs to sort out her priorities. Really, expelled is worse than being killed now? How highly does she put her education?"

**She marches off to bed without a backward glance. Harry however wasn't paying much attention, putting together that the package Hagrid took out of Gringotts, seems to have landed at Hogwarts.**

"I really wish you hadn't just tried to confirm this," James groaned, tossing the book over to Sirius for his turn.


	11. HALLOWEEN

After passing the baby to Remus, Sirius began his chapter with high spirits, but before he could start there was a familiar clattering in the kitchen. Lily got up to go in and check on it, calling out to the others, "It's Click, he's back with Peter's response."

She came back in with a bright orange screech owl perched on her shoulder, who was clicking his beak in excitement.

As she walked over to the perch over in the corner, she told them, "he said he would try and come by tomorrow morning. Here you go boy," she crooned as she deposited Click from her shoulder next to his water bowl.

Hickory came stalking back into the room, bright green eyes watching the bird, dark brown fur on his tail twitching in excitement, but none of the adults seemed to take notice. The two pets chased each other about all the time, but neither had ever harmed.

"So, has anyone thought how to go about explaining this to him?" James asked, waving about the room unnecessarily.

"Slowly," Lily said, plopping back down beside Harry, "we didn't take it very well at first either, so I would suggest keeping those two out of the room at first," Lily said, gesturing first at Harry, then at Sirius.

"Hey," he yelped, "what does that mean?"

"You know exactly what that means," she responded, "you are tactless."

Sirius huffed and grumbled a bit before reading.

**Malfoy was astonished to see Harry and Ron the next morning.**

"Still a slimy git," James muttered.

**After thinking it over for the night, the two boys had decided that catching sight of that three-headed dog had been a great adventure, and they were keen for another one.**

"No," groaned Lily, picking up a pillow and burying her face in it. So there it was, instead of backing off when coming face to face with danger, he just wanted to keep going.

The four boys though were quite pleased, the three adults unable to deny that they certainly wanted Harry to go have some more fun, though preferably away from that dog.

**Harry also chose to fill in Ron on his foray to Gringotts, to which concluded that whatever was being hidden was either really valuable, or really dangerous.**

"Most likely both," Remus said.

**Or both, Harry agreed.**

Harry and Remus shared an amused smile, Sirius deciding against making a crack about repeating commentary.

**But since they didn't know anything for certain about the tiny object, there speculations were stuck at just that. Neither Hermione or Neville seemed much interested in this, Hermione had gone back to her usual demeanor of ignoring Harry and Ron, but since she was such an annoying person they only saw this as a plus.**

"Can hardly blame you for that one," Sirius agreed, Remus may have been a bit of a know it all in school, but he was never boastful about it.

**What Harry and Ron were really wanting was a way to get back at Malfoy, and such an opportunity arrived a week later in the mail.**

"What's that?" Remus asked, starting to lean around Sirius to read for himself.

"Budge off," Sirius snapped, pulling the book closer to his chest, "or I'll put you back in that armchair."

Remus raised a challenging brow at him, unable to hide his disbelieving smile at such a threat, but allowed Sirius to keep going for now.

**Several owls were fluttering into the Great Hall that breakfast, heading straight for Harry, and dropping off a long shaped parcel on the table in front of him.**

"His broom," all three boys said with confidence.

"Well that was the most blatantly rude thing they could have done," Lily sniffed.

At Harry's confused look she explained, "Really, it probably would have been easier for Professor McGonagall to get it personally, and then take it up to your dormitory later. Giving it to you in the middle of the Great Hall like that was like rubbing it in that you got to break the rules."

"Calm down Lily," James scoffed, "you're reading way too much into this. So what? As soon as the school saw Harry on the pitch, they would have known he'd be the new Seeker, which is a huge deal. Getting a broom isn't really that big a deal."

Lily still disagreed, but as she couldn't do anything about it now, she let it go.

**Inside was a note saying this was Harry's new broom, a Nimbus Two Thousand, but he shouldn't open it at the table,**

"Okay, that was too little too late," Remus agreed.

**and that Oliver Wood would start Harry's Quidditch practice that night on the fields at seven. Signed off by Professor McGonagall.**

"Where did the broom come from though," Harry suddenly asked.

"There's a budget for every team," James said, "it pays for the uniforms, any broken equipment etcetera. Now a broom, especially one like that, would have maxed out the expenses for the year, but it would have been worth it!"

**Ron was as wild as Harry, saying he'd never even touched a Nimbus model.**

"The Nimbus line always has been the best," James agreed with envy, he currently had the Nimbus 80, he could only imagine what nearly eleven years from now would do to the line.

**The boys left the hall quickly, wanting to unwrap it in the common room, but were stopped by Malfoy who took the package away from Harry and felt it.**

"He wouldn't dare," Sirius gritted his teeth, "no way is he stupid enough to try and take Harry's broom."

"I'm sure he won't," Remus tried to sooth him, "not right under all of those teachers' noses."

"Well he hasn't shown much intelligence yet," James laughed.

**He snapped that he knew it was a broomstick as he shoved it back at Harry.**

James gave a slow, sarcastic laugh at this brilliant deduction.

**Ron couldn't resist pointing out that it wasn't just any old broomstick, but a top of the line model. Then he informed Harry that the one Malfoy rode, a Comet Two Sixty, looked flashy enough, but still wasn't a match for Harry's.**

Sirius shrugged, having a Comet Two Forty now, it did him pretty well.

**Then Professor Flitwick made an appearance, and Malfoy was quick to rat out Harry and his new possession. Professor Flitwick merely nodded, agreeing that Professor McGonagall had explained the circumstances.**

"That'll put a twist in his knickers," James snickered.

**Harry smiles and tells the Professor what model it is, then admits that it was all thanks to Malfoy he even had it.**

All four boys cracked up laughing at this.

Remus recovered first, still rubbing his ribs he said, "I'll give you that one Harry. It's true what they say, you are your own worst enemy."

Harry was still grinning and nodded along with him, while James grimaced slightly, knowing full well that was true.

**Then the two boys raced off with Malfoy's stunned look behind them. Harry explained that it was true, if Malfoy hadn't pulled that stunt with Neville's Remembrall, but Ron didn't get a chance to say anything as Hermione made an appearance, nose in the air. She snapped that Harry must think of that as a reward for breaking the rules.**

Lily sighed, unable to begrudge this girl for thinking this, since she had been thinking the same thing.

**Harry shot back that he thought she wasn't speaking to them. Ron agreed that it was doing them much more good that way, and Hermione stalked off again.**

"This one really needs to go hang out with her own friends," Sirius sniffed.

Lily blinked spastically for a moment, suddenly realizing that it hadn't mentioned Hermione hanging out with anyone. Had she really not been able to make friends? She hopped the poor thing had.

**Harry had a lot of trouble keeping his mind on his lessons that day. It kept going to his new broomstick which he'd hidden under his bed, or straying to the Quidditch field where he'd be learning to play that night.**

"That's exactly why first years aren't allowed on the team," Lily sighed, "they're still too easily distracted."

"Still not a valid excuse," Sirius argued back, "since every Quidditch player gets distracted around the time of the game, all the way up to seventh year."

**That night Harry ate his dinner so fast he didn't taste a thing, and then went back upstairs to unwrap his broom properly. The object is clearly top notch, and as highly polished as it was new.**

"Wish I really could see it," James groaned.

"Wipe the drool from your mouth, you're looking more like your son by the minute," Remus snickered while wiping a bit of drool from the baby in his lap.

**When seven came around, Harry eagerly made his way down to the pitch, looking at the Quidditch surroundings. There were three golden posts shaped like bubble wands, except they were fifty high.**

"What on earth?" James began, clearly confused by this comparison.

"They're exactly like Harry said, golden poles, but much smaller," Lily explained patiently. James still didn't get it, how could you blow bubbles out of a metal pole, but he wanted to hear about Harry learning some real hands on Quidditch to sit around and think about it.

**Harry didn't want to wait around any longer, he mounted his broom and kicked off into the air, exhilarated all over again by the flight.**

Now everyone in the room was smiling, even Lily wasn't holding much of a grudge anymore. She couldn't deny that she was happy Harry had finally found something that made him truly happy.

**Wood arrives then, and begins instructing Harry on the rules and places of Quidditch. There were seven players total, three of which were called Chasers. Harry repeated the information back as Wood pulled out a bright red ball about the size of a soccer ball.**

James was grinning widely, boy he missed playing on his house team.

**Wood told Harry this was called a Quaffle, and that the Chasers play exclusively with this ball as they try to throw it into the golden hoops, which earns that team ten points.**

"He's explaining it the same way you did," Harry told Remus.

Remus shrugged, still smiling, "everyone explains the basics in the same way."

**Harry again repeats that back, determined to remember all of this, and then mentions how this is slightly like basketball. Wood asks what that could be, but Harry brushes him off.**

"I quite like muggle sports," James laughed, "even if they can be a bit boring after a while. I don't blame Wood for being curious."

Lily smiled indulgently at him, James liked muggle sports much more than he was letting on, since they came on more often the Quidditch matches he loved getting into them in his spare time.

**Wood then tells Harry about another position called the Keeper, which was Wood's own position. His job was to block the Quaffle from making it into the goal. Harry agrees he understands thus far, then asks about another set of balls that were in the trunk, two round black ones that seemed to be moving. Wood offers to show Harry, and hands him a club.**

"Uh oh," Sirius said, still smiling a bit.

Lily had her lips pursed, if there was one position she didn't want Harry trying it was the Beater, since as the title implied, they took a lot of the hits during the game to make sure the Chasers stayed in the game.

**Wood told Harry that the two black balls were called Bludgers, and Harry noticed they were slightly smaller than the Quaffle,**

"And harder than a rock," Sirius added on, rubbing his head in remembrance.

**and that they were moving of their own accord. Wood told Harry to stand back, and released one of the Bludgers, which zoomed high into the air before arcing back right towards the pair. Harry swung the bat, hitting the ball and forcing it to move away again,**

"Very nice," they all said, Harry seemed able to hold any position on the team if he wanted to.

**and Wood had to catch it again and put it back in the box, before explaining that another set of players in the game were the Beaters, which were the Weasley twins. It was their job to make sure the Bludgers went towards the opposite team. Harry once again repeated back everything he'd been told so far, then tried to ask as offhanded as possible if the Bludgers have ever killed anyone.**

"Almost," Remus and James muttered, not appreciating that particular game.

At Harry's bug eyed look while throwing Sirius a really concerned look, Sirius read on quickly, not wanting to give Harry to much of a fright at that story.

**Wood assures Harry that never at Hogwarts, the worst they'd ever had was a broken jaw.**

"I think a cracked skull is worse than a broken jaw," James sniffed.

"Well, it's perspective I guess," Sirius laughed.

"How you can be so blasé about this I don't know," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Am I going to get to hear this whole story?" Harry finally asked.

"Perhaps later, after this book is over" Sirius told him, his two friends winced again at that memory.

**Then Wood turned his attention to the last player, Harry's position, Seeker. Wood told Harry it wasn't his job to worry about either of the previous balls, but Harry interrupts to point out it will be if the Bludger cracks his head open.**

All four of them winced, not even wanting to think of their little Harry in that situation. Even if he was sitting here, fine now, they never wanted the visual image of another black haired youth lying, seemingly dead. Sirius and Lily may not have that particular memory of that mental image, but they sure didn't want it, so Sirius quickly read on.

**Wood reassures him that shouldn't happen before taking out the last ball. Small as an acorn and solid gold, it was the Golden Snitch, worth one hundred and fifty points in the game, and once it was caught the game was over. It was Harry's job to catch this.**

"That still seems a bit unfair though," Lily said, bringing up a very old argument between her and James. "They should lower that to fifty or something."

James shook his head and gave back an old argument, "No, in professional games, the Chasers are expected to be good enough that they can get at least two hundred points like nothing. Since both teams are so evenly matched, you need a ringer, like the Snitch."

Lily just sighed, but then waved Sirius on when it looked like he was about to butt in as well. She was clearly outnumbered in this opinion.

**This was the reason Seekers got fouled so much during games, the record going on for three months before someone caught the ball, and the players kept having to get substitutes.**

"Not in our seven years," Remus said when it looked like Harry was about to ask.

"I think it happened two years before we got there though," Sirius said with envy, "so we did get a second hand account from the older students."

"How on earth did classes continue?" Lily demanded.

"They picked the rotations very carefully, it was a nightmare apparently," Remus laughed.

**Harry told Wood he understood the concept, it was going to be the act of doing that he'd like to practice now. So Wood pulled out a bag of golf balls,**

"If he doesn't know muggle sports, how did he get those?" Lily asked.

"They're in the equipment shed, you use them in Seeker try-outs," James said with a shrug, "doesn't mean he has to know where they came from."

**and they practiced with Wood chucking them in every direction he could. Harry caught every one of them.**

"Not bad practice at all," James agreed. Much better than what they had done in their try outs. Losing three snitches was the least of his problems that day.

**Then night fell on them and they had to halt practice. Wood was praising Harry how good he was, comparing him to Charlie Weasley who could have gone on to play professionally if he hadn't decided to work with dragons.**

"Can't blame the bloke for that," James said, smiling to himself. He had been offered to play for England as well, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it, traveling so much like that, when he had just gotten his new wife pregnant. Some things just had to take priority over Quidditch, something his younger self probably would have fainted at less than five years ago.

Sirius, Lily, and Remus exchanged smiles, yeah, they had to agree with James on that one.

**The narrative returns to say that Harry had now been living at Hogwarts for two months, how the castle felt more like a home to him then the Dursley's place ever had.**

Those smiles instantly vanished, oh they really didn't want to hear about another holiday event from those horrid Dursleys, and if they were doing the math right, it was about time for Halloween.

"If I have to sit here and read about Dudley eating all this candy in front of you," Sirius began, already having a hatred for this holiday after hearing that it was going to be James and Lily's last day.

Harry pursed his lips, hoping that the book really wouldn't mention all the years of this happening.

Sighing in defeat and hoping to just get it over with Sirius read.

**Harry's lessons were also becoming more advanced now that they were past the basics.**

All five released a breath, thankful it had glossed over that holiday, though the four adults knew the castle wouldn't. The teachers loved dressing up the castle for events. Still, hearing about the feast would be better than hearing about his preschool years.

**The day of Halloween Harry was in his charms classroom, trying to make a feather levitate off his desk. They were in pairs, Harry with Seamus Finnigan to which he was relieved since Neville had been trying to catch his attention.**

"Why?" Remus asked.

"I'm sure to ask Harry if he'd gone to any of the teachers about that dog," Lily said.

"No, I mean why would you avoid that Harry?" He elaborated.

"Oh," Harry said, "well Mum's right, Neville had been trying to catch my eye for a while and I thought it was because he was going to ask about the dog, and I didn't want to talk about it in class. You know, since it was right next to where it happened."

James snickered a bit at that, saying, "oh Harry, Charm's class is about one of the safest classes to have a conversation, since everyone gets really loud and distracted in that class."

"Good to know," he said, smiling a bit, and not pointing out that he couldn't very well use the information now.

**Ron had been paired with Hermione, and neither were pleased at all about this. She hadn't spoken a word to them since Harry's broomstick had arrived.**

"Well, hopefully this won't change that," Sirius grumbled.

**Professor Flitwick called attention back to the front of the class, instructing his students that proper wording of the spell was very important. If you said s instead of f, you may just wind up with a buffalo on your chest.**

"Liar," James laughed.

"How do you know?" Remus asked.

"I tried it once, and it didn't work," he said, sharing a wicked look with Sirius.

Lily sighed, rubbing at her own temple now, "why am I not surprised?"

**Harry and Seamus took turns using the spell, but neither were making much progress. Seamus got so impatient he set his feather on fire.**

All five of them cracked up at this, while James managed to ask, "did it make it easier?"

"No," Harry laughed, "but it made us feel better."

**Ron wasn't having any better luck, waving his arm around a little too much as he cried Wingardium Leviosa.**

"I don't think that will help," Lily said sadly.

**Hermione corrected him, telling him he was pronouncing it all wrong.**

"I don't think that will help either," Remus agreed, but with more humor for the situation. He did have more experience with helping his friends out, and correcting them like that usually didn't have very good results.

**Ron snapped at her if she was so confident she could try,**

"And that won't do any good at all," Sirius laughed, "if there's one thing we've established about this girl, it's that she's mastered her charms pretty well."

Harry was now frowning again, thinking, wasn't there something important about this spell, and Halloween? Why did those two things together mean something to him? Shaking his head, he let Sirius go on.

**Hermione performed the spell perfectly, much to Ron's chagrin. When they were leaving the class Ron was griping to Harry about how it was no wonder no one liked that girl,**

Lily frowned, saying, "well that was a bit harsh."

"The boy just got showed up by a girl who's been pestering them since the train," Sirius defended, "I don't blame him."

**Harry didn't get a chance to respond as someone shoved past him, and Harry was startled to see it was Hermione with tears on her face.**

"Oh," Sirius winced, okay, he wouldn't have wanted the girl to hear that.

"Poor thing," James and Remus agreed, none of them really wanting to hear about a first year reduced to tears.

"And that's why you shouldn't walk around saying whatever you feel like," Lily said, hoping Ron would apologize, or at the least she would meet someone who would make the poor girl feel better. She obviously needed a friend.

**Harry muttered that he was pretty sure she heard Ron, and even though Ron was frowning, he muttered that it must be because she realized she didn't have any friends.**

"Okay," Sirius threw his hands up in surrender at Lily's glare, "so I take it back, but what good is it going to do us now?"

Sighing, she admitted it was pointless to badger him about this now.

**Hermione was absent the rest of the day, and Harry overheard another girl mentioning how Hermione had locked herself up in a bathroom and wouldn't come out.**

Now all five of them were looking distinctly uncomfortable, the boys for complaining about her so much, when she obviously wasn't as bad as eleven year old Harry had painted her.

Lily was just hoping someone would go and help the poor girl before this chapter was up.

**Ron was looking all the more uncomfortable about this, but then they made it to the Great Hall, where the Halloween decorations put the girl out of their minds.**

"Typical," she sighed, while Sirius read on eagerly now, wanting to put the sad kid out of his mind as well, it's not like he, or Harry, could do anything about it if she was locked up in the girls bathroom.

**The place was decked out with live bats and pumpkins, the banquet hosting the golden plates that sported the best kind of feast. Before anyone could properly enjoy it though, Professor Quirrell came sprinting in, screaming about a Troll being in the dungeons, then he fainted.**

"What?" All four adults screeched in real fear.

While the two boys on the other couch quickly settled the baby down again, really they might have to move him to another room if this was going to be a constant thing, Lily clutched her chest in fear while James demanded, "the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher not only ran in front of all the students at the school to announce this, but fainted! What the bloody hell happened to the teachers standards at school!" He was pretty red in the face by the time he was done.

"Dumbledore's there," Remus said at once, trying to reassure the others and himself as well, "and he said in the dungeons. I'm positive the teachers will get this under control."

"Yes, but how did it get in?" Lily demanded, trying to control her own shaking fear. She was trying to comfort herself, saying that Harry would be moved to the seventh floor, as far away from that troll as possible, but it didn't stop the worry she had for the rest of the student body. "Something like a troll couldn't have just wandered into the grounds, it has to be let in."

Harry leaned over and wrapped a comforting arm around his mum, avoiding eye contact with all of the adults, especially Sirius who had been trying to catch his eye this whole time. It seemed Sirius had either thought of what Harry had, or guessed where his thoughts had landed.

Hermione. She didn't know about the troll, and both boys knew very well that he, Harry, would take it upon himself to go and tell her. If out of guilt or some other moral reason wasn't the point. Still feeling as on edge as everyone else, Sirius decided the fastest way to get an answer was to read.

**Dumbledore commanded the students to go back to their dormitories at once, which they began to do without argument. On the way Harry asked Ron how a troll could even get in. Ron didn't know, saying that trolls were known for their stupidity, and that maybe Peeves had done it as a joke.**

"He would never," the three boys said at once. They all knew that Peeves was many things, but he would never actually put these students in real danger.

**They were passing through a group of terrified and confused looking Hufflepuffs,**

"Confused indeed," James frowned, "what are they doing up there? I know their common rooms down in the, oh never mind."

Lily and Remus were both smiling at him as he figured out that anything below the first level was off to students, so most likely the prefects were leading them towards the Library, or perhaps the astronomy tower.

**when Harry grabbed hold of Ron's arm and whispered Hermione.**

"Merlin no," the other three adults groaned.

"Harry, I'm begging you, please tell me you don't break off and go get her?" Lily pleaded.

Harry chose to say nothing, quite a common response from him when the answer was usually yes.

James and Remus weren't too worried, they hated Harry breaking off like that, but couldn't fault the boy for wanting to go help her. Besides, the troll was on the lower floors, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Remus' only question was, "You think she went to the girl's bathroom on the third floor, by the charms room, or ran off to another one?"

"My guess, the one on the third floor," James sighed. "After all, if a girl's going to run off crying, she's going to the closest place."

Lily still didn't look to happy, saying, "I wish you would have at least told Percy."

Harry just kept quiet, trying very hard not to fidget as an answer, since his gut was telling him that he did the opposite of this.

Going even more quickly now, Sirius read.

**Both boys suddenly realized she had no idea what was going on. Ron agreed they should go get her, but they couldn't let Percy know.**

Lily sighed and rubbed her temple in frustration, sure that if it had been a prefect other than Ron's older brother this could have gone a little easier.

The three boys were just kind of impressed with the duo at this point. They were risking getting into serious trouble just to help out a girl they didn't even like. They now had no doubts that this Ron was as loyal a friend as could be, which meant he surely was looking for their Harry in his own time.

**They slipped away from the group and began heading back towards the third floor girl's bathroom when they heard the sound of feet approaching. Ron, fearing it was Percy, pulled Harry back into the shadows.**

"Makes sense," Lily agreed, "he probably was doing a head count and noticed his kid brother missing."

"Or maybe even the twins," James agreed.

**Glancing up though, they saw not Percy but Snape.**

"Snape?" All five of them said, most of them in disgust, while Lily in confusion.

"Why would he be up there?" She continued cautiously.

"Didn't want to see his reflection in the dungeons I'm sure," Sirius muttered in disgust.

"No, I'm with Lily," Remus said slowly, "what possible reason could he have from breaking away with the other teachers right now?"

"Maybe they've already got the problem handled, and he's going to fetch wherever the Slytherin's went," James offered.

**He disappeared quickly enough, and Harry was very confused as to why he wasn't in the dungeons with the other teachers. Following him quietly, they saw he was headed for the third floor as well,**

"Think the whole of Slytherin could hide on the third floor?" Sirius said in disbelief, they were all trying very hard not to think of what else was on the third floor.

All of them had a reason to dislike Snape, but none of them really believed he would use a school crisis to go and check on the dog, then Lily blinked and said, "no, I think he is checking on the dog." At the look the boys were giving her, mostly for her bright tone, she hurried on, "think about it. If this is the dark object that it's implied, what if this is a diversion and someone's trying to get to whatever's being guarded at the school. What if Severus is checking to make sure no one's heading towards that corridor."

"Yes, but no one on the school grounds would," James said still trying to puzzle that out when Remus went pale as a sheet and shuddered.

At the concerned looks they were all giving him he muttered, "nothing."

"Oh that was something," James said, eyeing his friend in concern, "and I know that look Remus. What did you just realize?"

Not looking any of them in the eye, but instead speaking to the baby in his hands to keep himself relaxed he said slowly, "well, if Lily's right, then that means that Snape wouldn't be the only person who's heading for the third floor. Letting a troll in would be the perfect diversion for a dark wizard..." but stopped quickly when the book slipped out of Sirius's slack grip, and the two parents looked ready to faint.

Giving himself a firm shake, Sirius bent down and without another word decided he needed to keep reading, now, or his imagination was going to be the death of him.

Despite the paralyzing fear they all felt, James was still caught on the last thing he'd been thinking about. Who on the school grounds would allow this to happen? Sure he hated Snape, but James couldn't believe even he would put the student body at risk like this. Dumbledore trusted him enough to let him teach at the school, that must mean he wasn't the Death Eater they all thought. It didn't mean he had to like him. No, for the time being, he would focus on every word Sirius said, keep closely to his son for reassurance, and have faith in what his wife said about his arch enemy's motives.

**but before they get far Ron asks Harry if he smells something? Harry sniffs curiously and finds a repulsive stench like an old toilet.**

"You're not serious?" Lily said through numb lips.

It was a testament to how much this whole situation was scaring them all that Sirius didn't even flinch at his favorite joke. He was too busy looking dumbly down at the book and the words that meant something he never wanted to think of.

Hoping against hope that Snape was just really smelly for some reason, he tried to keep going without stuttering.

**Then they heard it, heavy shuffling feet. Looking behind them, they saw at the end of the passage something huge coming right towards them, so they shrunk back into the shadows.**

Remus was mentally calculating how much worse this night could get before he promptly vomited from stress.

The other three were still too numb to believe this. A possible dark wizard was running around on the same floor as their little boy, and now the troll had somehow managed to find his way up to that very same floor?

Still trying to get through this without slurring his speech from worry, Sirius kept reading, trying to control the fear pitching his tone.

**It was very ugly. Human in shape but twelve feet tall, it had grey skin and was carrying a huge wooden club the size of Harry. The troll stopped next to an open doorway and peered inside before making the decision to enter.**

"Run!" All four of them whispered, wanting nothing more than to teleport there right at that moment and stop this horrid night in its tracks.

Harry on the other hand was feeling something else entirely. Another memory, and a powerful one at that. Something about this troll was very important, and the room it had gone into.

Rubbing his temple furiously, he didn't notice the others having a brief conversation on whether their luck was good enough the troll had stumbled across the three headed dog, and the two would simply kill each other while the boys made it safely back to the common room.

With any luck they were just being paranoid about a dark wizard creeping about, or with good luck the two monsters on this floor would kill said dark wizard.

Still looking pale as death, Sirius forced himself to go on, not willing to relax until his little pup was far, far away from this mess.

**Harry whispers they should lock it in that room.**

"No!" All four of them screeched, this was the opposite of helpful.

"Harry, you should have gotten out of there now!" Remus told him like he thought that was the most obvious thing in the world.

Harry simply shrugged, and gently pointed out, "yes, well I'd still like to remind you lot I am fine now."

This did help them relax, slightly anyways. At least Sirius could read on now without feeling like he was going to pass out. Dumb as it seemed, he had almost forgotten his little Harry was safe and sound right here in this room, but the reminder helped to sooth his nerves.

**Ron agrees it's a good idea,**

"No, it's not," Lily grumbled in disgust.

**and the two make it to that door and lock it without a problem.**

"Great," James said almost feverishly, even him and his friends had never done anything this dangerous. "Now get out of there before the troll decides it can break that door down."

"Not helpful. The opposite of helpful James," Lily snapped at him, clutching Harry's hand in her's tightly.

**Turning to head away now, they stop in their tracks at once when they heard a horrible noise.**

'Not the crashing of a door, anything but that' Remus begged the universe.

**A high pitched scream,**

"Bloody hell," they all whispered, it was possible to get worse wasn't it.

**that was coming from the chamber they'd just chained up.**

Sirius read on quickly before anyone could interrupt this time, yeah it was bad, but the only way they were going to think about relaxing again was to get this over with.

**Harry comes to the horrible conclusion they'd just locked up the girl's bathroom. Then both boys together screamed for Hermione.**

"Never, in all my years," Lily's words came out a jumbled mess as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Of all the girl's bathrooms in the castle," Sirius agreed.

"Just keep going Sirius," James and Remus said together, their nerves getting frayed beyond repair.

No one in the room had to question what was going to happen next. Harry and Ron were going to go back in there and try to get Hermione out, possibly getting the two that weren't in this room killed! They didn't think it could get worse than four of them running into a three headed dog, and they hated to be proved wrong so soon.

After a moment's more pause to collect himself, Sirius did indeed keep going.

**Neither really wanted to, but both turned back around and went inside the very room they'd just locked up.**

None of them appreciated this confirmation, but were all too scared to speak up again.

**Inside, Hermione Granger had herself pinned to the wall in fright, staring at the monster before her. The troll was heading right for her, so big it was breaking the sinks and stalls along the way, when Harry got the idea to try and confuse it, so he threw a bit of sink at a wall.**

"Remarkable," Remus said, cuddling the baby in his arms.

"We'll discuss his confidence in the face of danger after he's out of it," Lily snapped.

James couldn't help but agree with Lily on this one.

**The troll turned at the noise, and began making its way towards Harry now,**

"Great, perfect," Sirius grumbled, before pressing on even faster than before. Only taking the vaguest of comforts at Harry's presence now, it wasn't going to help the nightmares later he was sure.

**Ron got the same idea and went around Harry to bang on the wall himself, turning to troll's attention on him instead. Harry took the chance to run to Hermione, grabbing hold of her and trying to convince her to run. She, however, remained frozen in place.**

Lily pursed her lips while all the boys frowned in sever anxiety. Yes she agreed now was not the time to freeze up, but she couldn't blame the eleven year old.

"Drag her out of there already," James snarled.

**The noise was clearly driving the creature crazy, as it continued advancing on Ron with bloodlust, with Ron nowhere to run.**

"No, no, no," they all muttered. Having no way to know for sure that Harry's only friend, an innocent kid, would make it out of this alive and safe.

**Harry reacted without thinking. He ran forward and managed to fasten his arms around the troll's neck from behind.**

Sirius had to blink a few times to get the blurriness out of his vision, he really almost had passed out that time.

"He did what?" James yelped.

"Something desperate and stupid for sure," Remus mumbled.

Lily was looking from the book to her Harry so fast her neck was in danger of snapping, but she couldn't help it. She was waiting for the moment when Harry's look, right now mostly concerned for his friend, would either morph into pain from a blow from a fully grown mountain troll, or desperation as he realized his friend really might die.

Harry didn't know what was going to happen anymore than them, just his gut reliance that things were going to be fine. He tried to say something about it, but since Sirius had managed to keep going, he kept quiet until he was sure.

**The troll may not have felt Harry there, but even something with as little intelligence as it possessed would have noticed a large piece of wood being shoved up its nostril, and Harry had his wand in hand when he'd jumped.**

"That...would catch anyone's attention I'm sure," Remus said, looking torn whether to laugh or pass out.

"Just when I thought this couldn't get worse," Lily moaned. Now her son had injured the bloody thing, possibly making it carry a grudge against him.

James and Sirius however, couldn't fault Harry for his actions one bit. Reckless and unthought out, yes, but they both knew without even having to question it that they would have done the same thing under any circumstances.

Still ill at ease, Sirius forced himself to keep going.

**In terrible pain now, the troll began lashing out in all directions with its club, and all Harry could do was hang on for life.**

"You are not helping," Lily snapped at Harry, while clutching his hand all the tighter. Harry was beginning to lose feeling in that hand.

Sirius didn't even look up this time, he didn't want to keep being interrupted, but wanted this horrid event to be over.

**Hermione had sunk to the floor in fright, while Ron reacted with the first spell that came to mind; crying out Wingardium Leviosa.**

"No," Remus groaned, "he doesn't even know how to do that spell."

Again Sirius and James felt more pride than anger, as Ron, or many other people with far more experience, would have used this opportunity to make a run for it.

Lily apologized to Harry when she noticed her nails were starting to draw beads of blood on Harry's hand, but when Harry waved it off she turned to Sirius and said, "so long as the three of them get out of there, I don't care what he does. Sirius keep going."

**The troll's club floated into the air upon Ron's command, and came crashing back down on the creature's head, sending it to the floor with a thunderous crash.**

"He did it," Remus breathed.

"He fell flat on his face," James said, grinning so hard his face may split.

"The troll should be passed out now," Lily breathed, wishing desperately all this noise must have summoned Snape at the least, and not the wizard who had let the troll in. Her little Hare Bear still might not be out of danger yet.

Feeling relief that the immediate danger was hopefully down for the count, Sirius couldn't help but think along the same lines as Lily, and didn't settle too long on victory before reading.

**Harry got shakily to his feet while Ron came over to look at his handiwork. Hermione was the first to find her voice, asking if it was dead?**

"Sadly no," Remus answered no one in the room, but still explained anyways. "Troll's heads are the thickest part of their body. Getting clubbed like that will only have knocked it out."

"What he means by that," James said in forced light tones, "is get the bloody hell out of there before something else happens."

Lily and Sirius eyed the two of them, and decided they must have misjudged. Clearly the relief hadn't wiped out their original fear, they were just doing a good job of hiding it.

**Harry says he didn't think so, probably just knocked out, then bends down and retrieved his wand, which was covered in troll boogers.**

"Small price to pay when you think about it," Harry said in disgust, then blinked and realized that he didn't have his wand on him now. He'd felt so relaxed in this environment that he hadn't even thought about it.

Still, he felt almost naked without it, and knew that he would have to have it back to feel truly safe. Yet everyone in the room still had traces of fear in them, even though he felt perfectly relaxed. The danger was gone, and there was going to be something very good happening at the end of this chapter. So he decided to wait until then to bring it up.

**He wiped them off on the troll's trousers.**

"Small payback," Sirius grumbled with a bit of pleasure. Personally they all felt like doing far worse to that troll for endangering their boy, when in reality the beast was most likely just going to be relocated back into the mountains.

**There was a door slamming open behind them, and the three children turned on the spot to find Professor McGonagall entering, along with Quirrell and Snape.**

"Thank goodness," they all breathed. None of them would breath a word against the punishment they might get for this stunt, now that McGonagall was there, they knew the kids were safe.

**Quirrell took one look at the troll, let out a faint whimper, and sat quickly down on a toilet, clutching his heart.**

"Really though, I want that man fired," James grumbled, irrationally blaming him.

"How about we just make sure the whole instance never happens," Remus tried to sooth him.

**Snape turned his attention to the troll while McGonagall glowered down at the students. Harry felt his heart sink again as the thought of being rewarded with house points was dashed away at her look.**

"I'd be insulted if she did," surprisingly this came from Sirius, "really now, that would be rewarding for stupid behavior."

"Yes, but they don't know that," James defended his son. "As far as the teachers know, these three just could have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. None of them actually know that Harry and Ron went after Hermione in the first place, causing this mess."

Lily sniffed in disdain and said, "with any luck, the Professor's will just tell them they're lucky they didn't die, and they'll all go to bed. The instance itself should have taught the lot of them about not going to tell teachers when there's a problem."

Remus was shaking his head at all of them, really and they laughed at him for asking questions they didn't know the answer to. Lily was the worse one about speculating what was going to happen.

Sirius came to roughly the same conclusion, and decided the book would give him the answer.

**McGonagall demanded to know what had happened, and Hermione was the first to speak up, finally getting to her feet,**

"I hope she didn't go into shock," Lily said with real concern, after all Hermione was the victim in all of this.

"She got to her feet, I think she'll manage," James said bracingly.

**and telling how it had been her idea to go looking for the troll.**

Four jaws dropped in disbelief at this.

Harry startled them all out of it by laughing.

"This Hermione, who through this whole ordeal has done nothing but preach about the rules, just lied to a teacher?" Remus said in fascination.

"Okay, I will officially admit, I had her pegged wrong," Sirius said, feeling like joining in Harry's laughter.

"Well I've decided I like her," James agreed, beginning to feel a little more normal again.

Lily just shook her head at the lot of them, was that what it took to impress them? Well of course, she was thinking about the Marauders, lying to teachers was second nature to them.

Sirius now read on in light tones, feeling confident the danger truly had passed now.

**Harry tried not to look like this was news to them as Hermione explained what the two boys had done to take down the troll,**

"All true," Remus agreed, now beaming at the book, "though I do wonder if she knows they were the ones who locked her up in there with it?"

"She does," Harry said, then he blinked and began rubbing his temple gently.

"You remember something?" James asked eagerly.

Harry nodded absently saying, "Yes, we talked about it the next morning, Hermione had mentioned something about the odds of it finding her, and I blurted out an apology. Then Ron hit me on the shoulder, but we told her the truth. She still thanked us for it though, saying she didn't blame us."

The longer Harry talked, the brighter his smile was. These two very solid memories of this girl, saving her from the troll and the talk about it next morning, meant that he had to have been right. His gut had told him on the train this girl was a friend, now he finally had proof of this.

"I take back all the things I said about her then," Sirius said sincerely.

James and Remus both nodded eagerly in agreement, then Sirius pressed on happily.

**Harry and Ron were trying very hard not to let on that Hermione's story was news to them.**

"If it's anything like your face now, I doubt she really bought it," James laughed, feeling happy he could do so again.

**McGonagall appraised her for a moment before scolding that Hermione had been foolish. Hermione properly dropped her head and looked plenty ashamed, while Harry was still getting over his shock of watching her lie. It was as odd as Snape handing out treats.**

"Well, since the one time he did that, most of Gryffindor house was sent to the hospital wing with boils, I wouldn't trust it," James said, but added on, "but you'd be surprised what saving someone's life will do to a personality change."

Harry gave his dad an odd look, he had said this as if he had first-hand experience in the matter, but Sirius was already reading on, a bit red in the face.

**McGonagall took five points away from Gryffindor for her actions.**

"That's it? Five points?" Lily yelped in shock.

"Like James said," Remus defended with a shrug, "I think McGonagall knows she was lying. Instead of badgering the truth out of all of them, she punished her for the lie, and now she's going to send them all off."

Lily didn't look very happy, but decided to let it go.

**Hermione was dismissed, then McGonagall turned her attention on the boys. Praising them for being able to handle the situation, and giving them each five points.**

Now all four adults had to admit they were rather surprised at this.

"Now why didn't McGonagall ever reward us for our stunts?" Sirius pouted without really meaning it. Who knows maybe if he had taken on a troll, she would have? Yeah, no, probably not.

"Don't even get me started on that," Lily threatened, still unable to believe how lax McGonagall seemed to be with how Harry had been acting.

James and Remus were just kind of stunned into silence like Sirius, never in their school life had they seen her reward this kind of thing.

**Then they were excused as well. Harry was fairly relieved to be going, more to get away from the smell of the troll then anything.**

General laughter filled the living room now, it felt good to laugh again after two very stressful chapters in a row.

**Ron grumbled that they should have gotten more than ten points for what they did,**

"You're lucky you weren't killed," Lily grumbled to herself.

**and Harry corrects him it was five once you docked Hermione's points. Ron admits it was good of her to get them out of trouble, while Harry reminds she wouldn't have needed saving if they hadn't locked the troll in with her.**

"No, I doubt that," Remus corrected. "After all, he did go in there first. I doubt he would have noticed the door was locked till much after the fact."

Harry nodded, feeling a bit relieved. He really had been feeling guilty for this.

**They got back to their tower and entered the common room to find Hermione waiting for them. They all stared uneasily at each other for a few moments before all saying thanks at once. From that moment on, Hermione Granger was officially their friend,**

All three boys were smiling at this. They had already apologized for their initial feelings towards this girl, they were now ecstatic that they had been wrong. Harry had another friend, someone else who could help him through what was obviously going to be quite a time at school, and a bloody smart one at that.

**because there are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.**

"All getting detention on your first night at school and winding up outside the forbidden forest is another," James agreed, "but yours works to."

Both Harry and Lily gave appreciative laughs at this, and Harry determined he really wanted to get that whole story eventually, but then Sirius called out, "chapter's over, Harry did you want to read again?"

Harry nodded and eagerly reached out for the book. Before he paused to the next chapter though, he asked, "um, I realized that I don't have my wand. Any chance it was on me when I wound up here?"

Remus didn't even hesitate as he said, "oh, yes. Sorry about that, precautions and all," then he dug out the wand and passed it over to Harry.

He beamed as he studied his wand for a moment, feeling a warmth tingling his fingers all over again, before tucking it away and picking up for the next chapter.

* * *

Got some extra time so extra chapter this week.


	12. QUIDDITCH

I don't say it enough, but thank you all too every single person who reads and reviews this. The support honestly helps me so much!

* * *

"One chapter," Lily stated to the ceiling, "I just want one chapter where I don't feel like my head's going to explode."

Harry gave his mum a sideways look, considering how he felt right now. Content mostly, whereas before he'd felt some high tension in his gut. He certainly felt like something important was going to happen before Christmas, an important memory, but since he couldn't put a finger on what he just said, "let's just remember the good parts hu?"

"I'm feeling a bit peckish," Sirius said, eyeing the next chapter warily. He really didn't want to think of Harry going back to that dog, and his reaction wasn't exactly reassuring, so he stalled a bit, "anyone up for lunch?"

Lily was the only one who hesitated, she wanted to keep going, have a nice chapter without a panic attack, but since the boys were already getting up, she decided to follow them into the kitchen.

After a nice comfortable lunch, they were all feeling much better, and only then did Harry read on quickly.

**November arrived upon the castle, bringing with it the Quidditch season.**

"Ye!" All four boys cheered.

Lily decided that a game of Quidditch, so long as nothing to bad happened, would be a welcome relief.

**The coming up Saturday Harry would be playing his first live match in front of the school, pinning Gryffindor against Slytherin. If Harry's team won, they'd be in second place for their house.**

"I don't like this," Lily said at once.

"Relax Lily," James brushed her off, "yeah I know, Slytherin isn't my favourite house, but Harry doesn't seem to have a grudge with any of them except Malfoy. I'm sure it will be a fairly simple game."

Harry wanted to disagree, he had a rather odd feeling that he was about to be tossed around by something, but his mom actually did relax beside him, so he decided to just keep reading.

**Wood had tried to keep Harry's position on the team a secret, but somehow the news had still leaked out.**

"Could it be that the Gryffindor team didn't have an official Seeker, and that Harry had been sent a broom?" Remus asked redundantly.

"Yeah, but who could make that leap?" Sirius chuckled.

**This managed to make Harry all the more nervous, unable to decide which was worse, whether people were trying to comfort him that he would be fine, or the mockery that he would fall off and they'd catch him with a mattress.**

At Harry's grey pallor, James quickly reassured, "don't worry, you've shown nothing but natural talent. If you don't want to hear me say that you'll be brilliant, then at least let me tell you that I'm sure you won't fall off."

Harry actually laughed at this, looking relaxed again at once, thanking his dad.

"Besides," Sirius said brightly, "the student's aren't allowed to follow you around with a mattress. One year a group of Hufflepuffs got away with a net, but-ouch."

Sirius sat rubbing his arm while Remus looked quite pleased with himself. Harry decided to keep going before anyone else could try making him feel better.

**Harry felt very lucky Hermione was now his friend, as she was a great help in getting him through his homework. She wouldn't let him cheat, but since she looked over it before he turned it in, he got the right answers anyways. She'd also lent him her copy of Quidditch Through the Ages, which he found an interesting read.**

"Good," Sirius said, "though if we're being honest, you really should be able to quote that book before your ten."

"Does that have something to do with the fact you read him that as his bedtime story every time you babysit?" Remus asked slyly.

"To be fair, so do I," James laughed.

Lily couldn't help but smile at this, she could never begrudge her boys for this.

**He learned some very interesting trivia, like there were seven hundred ways of committing a foul in Quidditch, each of which had been used in a World Cup during 1473,**

"Now there's a time I'd like to be teleported back to," Sirius said in reverence.

**Seekers were usually the most injured during the games,**

"What?" Lily yelped. Considering she had stopped attending Quidditch matches after her first year, "I never realized that."

"Why?" Sirius snorted, "Weren't you at like, every game?"

"No," Lily snapped, "I went first year for the fun of the game, until James started using it as an excuse to sit by me. So starting second year I avoided the pitch at all costs. I only started going again seventh year."

"In professional games," James began loudly, to explain Harry's very confused look, not realizing it was for the avoiding his dad comment, "Sure in the school's game the Beater's will try to knock them off when they get close to the snitch, but it takes years for Quidditch players to hone the skill of keeping an eye on all the players at once. Only the pro's notice the subtle ways seekers react, and then they attack preemptively, causing quite a bit of damage. Not even seventh years are quite that good."

Lily couldn't decide what impressed her more, James logic that actually made sense, or the fact that he was actually able to calm her down.

**and though the players usually didn't die during the games, referees were known to disappear at random.**

"Again, never happened at Hogwarts," Remus laughed.

"Sent a Quidditch Captain through a vanishing cabinet once, never found out where he ended up, but he did deserve it," Sirius said brightly.

"Please tell me he came back?" Lily asked.

"He might have," James said lightly, "why on earth would we know?"

Lily just sighed and decided to let it go for now, no way would they be acting so calm about it if anything too bad had happened.

**Hermione had also been a bit more lax about breaking the rules.**

"Well that's a relief," Sirius said brightly.

**The day before Harry's first game, the three of them were out in the courtyard, and she had produced a bright blue flame that could be carried around in a jar.**

"Wow," Remus laughed, "she's really already begun second year spells?"

Harry was smiling in fond remembrance at the memories of just hanging around with his friends, but there was something about Hermione and this blue fire he thought he should remember. Perhaps he had just been as impressed with the magic as the adults were?

**They were all huddled around its warmth, pressed back to back with the heat in the centre, when Snape came limping across the yard.**

"Why?" Lily asked lightly. She was still not very pleased about the way Snape had treated Harry his first potions lesson, but since none others had been mentioned since, she hoped that he had lessened the comments on her son.

"Oh don't start that," James groaned, "we've already got Remus asking those kinds of questions."

Lily huffed and politely asked Harry to go on.

**The three students huddled closer together, not entirely sure if the fire was against school rules.**

"Technically it is," Lily said, "you are allowed to practice on the grounds so long as you don't have to be in any classes."

**Sadly something about them caught Snape's eye, and he came over to them. He didn't seem to notice the fire, but he seemed to be looking for a reason to tell them off.**

"Now that, I remember," James muttered to himself.

**Snape demanded to see what Harry had in his hand, which happened to be his copy of Quidditch Through the Ages. Snape took it from him and told him books weren't allowed outside the library, then deducted five points from Gryffindor.**

"Then he should have been in detention every day of the week," Remus spat in disgust.

"That isn't even a rule," Lily snapped.

James and Sirius felt delighted that these two had been the one to point this out, since they felt that if they had, Lily might have snapped at them about it.

**Harry grumbled that Snape must have made that rule up as Snape went limping away, then wondered what could have happened to his leg. Ron muttered that he at least hoped it hurt.**

Not even Lily could muster up anger at Ron's comment, though she didn't go so far as to agreeing with him like the boys did.

**That night as Hermione was looking over their homework,**

"Good lord, that was a flash back to our school years if ever I've heard it," Sirius laughed.

**Harry was feeling restless. He wanted his book back, hoping it would take his nerves off of tomorrow.**

All three boys winced, not really wanting this awful reminder that Harry simply couldn't write to them and ask for a copy they knew one of them would have. Or, more preferably, they would simply march up to school and take the book back for Harry.

**Harry decided he would try and ask for his book back, and stood up telling his friends that, who both responded better him then them. Harry wondered if Snape was perhaps in the staff room, thinking he may not be able to say no if other teachers were listening.**

"No he wouldn't," James agreed happily, "because it isn't an actual rule."

"There's my smart pup," Sirius added happily.

**Harry made his way down there and knocked, but no one answered. Harry wanted to check and see if maybe his book had been left in there, so he popped open the door and stuck his head in, to find a horrible sight.**

"Was a student getting told off?" Remus asked with interest.

**Snape and Filch were inside, alone.**

"Conspiring to put the student body in detention I'm sure," James muttered.

**Snape was holding his robes above his knees. One of his legs was bloody and mangled.**

"Oh dear," Lily frowned, genuine concern lighting her features.

"Perhaps an accident in Potions class?" Remus speculated.

"Then why wouldn't he fix it himself?" Sirius rebutted, "he's not that incompetent."

"Again, one of the nicest things you've ever said about him," Lily said in approval.

Harry was frowning, rubbing his temple again. There was something he should remember about this. Something about the dog, he decided to simply read on rather than pressure himself again.

**Filch was handing Snape bandages while Snape was grumbling about how you were supposed to keep your eyes on all three heads at once.**

All four adults looked at each other, puzzled by that, but then Lily reminded them, "we never did find out why Snape was up there, but we did agree he was checking on the dog. Perhaps things got out of hand?"

"Was he injured when he showed up in the bathroom?" James asked Harry.

Harry puzzled for a moment, trying to remember back, and saying slowly, "I think so, yeah. I wasn't exactly watching him walk, and he sat down ignoring me during all the classes afterwards. So I can't say for sure."

Lily nodded and decided that was good enough for her.

The other three just admitted they didn't have any other reasonable option.

**Harry tried to sneak back out, but Snape caught sight of him. Harry took a chance and still decided to ask for his book back,**

"Now that was very brave," Sirius laughed, "you caught him with his pants down, and still asked for your book."

**Snape yelled at him at the top of his lungs to get out.**

"Was a bit overtly rude though," Lily huffed, that was quite the overreaction.

James was scowling at the thought of Snivellus yelling at his son like that. He wasn't feeling as much pity like he was earlier.

**Harry went back to his common room, and tells Ron and Hermione what happened. Then he continues speculating that Snape had tried to get past that three headed dog, that he must be after whatever that dog was guarding,**

"After it," Lily spluttered, "now that's going too far."

Harry frowned over at her, still not able to understand why she seemed so defensive of Snape this whole time, then the boys backed her up, Remus saying, "Yeah, I've got to agree with her there Harry. Dumbledore trusts him, and despite his questionable past, I doubt even he would try and steal something from the school right under his nose."

James and Sirius shared a look, before verbally agreeing with their friend. They really didn't like him, and most likely never would, but even they couldn't see that.

Harry frowned, not really appreciating this, but as he had no hard evidence, and their reasons did make sense, he let it go for now.

**then he said he was willing to bet his broom that Snape must have let that troll in as a diversion.**

"Despite my evidence that he's got troll blood in him," Sirius said sadly, "again, I've got to say not. One Nimbus two thousand please" he even held out his hand towards Harry.

Harry actually laughed then, mostly because, he felt in his gut that Sirius was right. That feeling hadn't let him astray so far, and he trusted these people, why stop now?

**Hermione tried to argue the point, saying that Snape was a teacher and he would never try to steal something away from Dumbledore, but Ron disagrees and instead wants to know what exactly that dog is guarding.**

"A question I'd still like answered," they all agreed.

**Harry went to sleep that night more wound up than ever, the twisted expression lingering on Snape's face as he yelled at Harry lingering.**

"His ugly mug will give anyone nightmares," James laughed.

"James," Lily snapped on instinct.

James surrendered at once, though still not fully able to hide his smirk.

**The next morning Harry had to concentrate on other things though, as he wandered down to breakfast to the smell of food and a chattering crowd excited for a game.**

"Why do we keep missing on all the good chapters?" Sirius groaned.

"I'll trade you Harry," James offered.

"No way," Lily said at once, "he's half way through."

Both boys huffed and crossed their arms in an almost pouting gesture.

**Harry slumped into a seat and merely sat staring at the food, his stomach churning with distaste as Hermione tried to convince him to eat something. Harry was too nervous though, knowing he'd be out on the pitch in less than an hour.**

"Maybe it's best you don't eat then," Remus agreed, "I'd hate for you to be sick."

"That wasn't comforting at all," Harry told him with a straight face. He wasn't as nervous now as he was then, but he truly did want to do a good job during this game. If he was being honest with himself, he hoped he did a good job just for the sake of seeing how happy his family would be if he won.

Remus actually looked a bit embarrassed at this, so Harry said, "but it was good advice, which I'm pretty sure I use."

Then he read on.

**Seamus was trying to convince Harry to eat as well, reminding him that Seekers were known for taking the most hits during a game.**

Lily huffed, wondering if James might have been lying to her, just a bit, to make her feel better. Too late now though.

**Harry bleakly thanked him for the reminder.**

"Well at least your advice was better than that," Harry told Remus, who both started laughing.

**As eleven o'clock rolled around, every seat in the stadium was packed full, but even with the height it would be difficult to make out exactly what was going on in the air.**

"Can't count how many times Peter and I broke our binoculars," Remus said with fond remembrance.

"Thank goodness for the Reparo Charm then," James laughed.

**Ron, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, and Dean had all gotten together without Harry's knowledge and had taken an old bedsheet and written out a cheerful poster supporting Harry, which they planned on waving during the game.**

"That's so sweet," Lily said at once, happier than anything that there were people there to cheer on her son.

All of the boys had to admit that, yeah, that was a really sweet thing for Harry's classmates to have done.

**In the changing room, Wood was beginning his pep talk speech, which Fred and George were mimicking along with him, as Fred told Harry that since they'd been on the team last year, they knew it well.**

"He doesn't change it?" James asked.

Sirius just shrugged, though he had to agree, that would get boring.

"I thought Ron said Charlie was Quidditch Captain though?" Remus asked, "why would they know his speech, this should be his first year as captain?"

"Oliver was co-captain," Harry said, as he had asked the same thing later that night, "and since it was Charlie's last year there, he let Oliver give the pep talks to the team."

**Wood told the pair of them to shut up, and then enthused his team saying that he was sure they would win today. Then he silently glared around, as if saying 'or else.'**

"Now that look I know all too well," both James and Sirius coursed.

At Harry's questioning look, James explained, "the Quidditch captain, when we joined the team in our second year, guy named Vosper, was a bit of a fanatic."

"That's putting it lightly," Sirius laughed, "but considering he went to play for England, it clearly paid off."

**Harry and the rest of the team went out onto the field then to find Madam Hooch refereeing. She was glaring at both team captains, telling them she wanted a fair game from both sides, though Harry couldn't help but notice she was looking particularly at the Slytherin captain who looked a little trollish in Harry's opinion.**

"Oh, I wouldn't put it past him," James snickered.

**Then Harry caught sight of his friend's banner, and he felt a little lighter for it.**

Lily beamed, clearly that banner meant just as much to Harry as it had to her.

**The fourteen players mounted their brooms, and were off to the shrill sound of a whistle.**

"Yes," all three boys said eagerly, it had been far too long since they'd heard a proper game of Quidditch, the last world cup had been seven years ago! Since it had happened in Syria, only James' and his parents had been able to go. The other boy's families hadn't been able to make it, for various independent reasons. Of course they all listened in on the wireless to every game. It was going to be a thrill to see their little Harry in action for the first time.

**Commentary began at once, provided by Fred and George's friend Lee Jordan, who was saying how pretty he found one of the Gryffindor Chasers-**

"Brilliant," Remus laughed.

"Oh I'm going to like him," James and Sirius agreed.

"Though I still doubt he could beat you out Moony," Sirius added on.

Remus beamed at his friends, privately thinking they were probably biased, but flattered all the same.

**Jordan apologized and returned his attention back to the game, watching the Quaffle be passed from hand to hand, the Beaters taking their chances whenever they could to knock the opposing teams aside, at one point Katie Bell being hit in the back of the head with a Bludger,**

"What?" All four of them yelped in concern.

But Harry quickly reassured them, "It was a glancing blow, she just lost hold of the Quaffle."

Seeing them all relax, Harry quickly kept going.

**until finally Gryffindor made a score.**

"Yes!" All five of them cheered. Even Lily couldn't deny she was enjoying this, as this was exactly what she had been hoping for. A nice relief from the death in the previous two chapters anyways.

**Cheers rose up all over from the crowd, mingled with boos as well. Then a random voice cuts in telling someone to move along,**

"What?" All four of them said in confusion.

Harry was looking genuinely confused, he had no idea, but he kept going.

**which turns out to be Hagrid squeezing in beside Ron and Hermione in the bleachers.**

"Oh," Remus said, blinking a moment before readjusting, "it just switched point of views again."

"Ah," the others said, just a little thrown off since this hadn't happened since the beginning of the book. Harry quickly readjusted and read on.

**Hagrid tells how he had been watching from his place, but wanted to be closer to the action, then asks how Harry's been. Ron points out that he hadn't had much to do yet, that Wood had instructed him to stay out of the way until he caught sight of the Snitch.**

"Always a good plan," James agreed.

**In the air Harry had been circling the field, only having seen something glitter once, but it only turned out to be one of the Weasley's watches.**

Sirius frowned at that, saying, "now they really should have known better."

"They're only third years," Remus defended.

Sirius easily let it go, rookie mistake it was, but he couldn't claim he'd never made those either.

**At one point a bludger had been pelted his way, but Fred had zoomed up to lob it back off, only managing a quick hello before he flew back off.**

"All the conversation you really can have up there," Sirius agreed.

**Then Harry really did begin pelting back to the ground, distracting a Slytherin Chaser named Pucey as he dropped the Quaffle,**

"Now that was just a dumb mistake," Remus agreed, "you do have to maintain some focus on your own job."

**in fact the whole stadium went tense and still including the rest of the game as they watched in shock for Harry to continue hurtling to the ground,**

All three boys were to hyper for Harry's first catch to say what idiots those people were.

**and Harry was gaining speed, when WHAM.**

"Oh no," Lily paled at once.

Harry kept reading quickly, there was no point in worrying them when he knew he hadn't been hurt to badly.

**Marcus Flint had moved to intercept Harry knocking him off course.**

"Foul," All three boys cried in outrage.

James said hotly, "that's blatching! A Chaser's not allowed to block the Seeker, the two should never even intersect."

Smiling at them for his defence, Harry still kept reading, this time to sooth their nerves.

**The whole of the Gryffindor supports shouted foul, which Madam Hooch granted giving the team a free shot, which caused enough confusion for the Snitch to disappear again.**

"At least that's fair," Lily said for them.

They nodded, only slightly appeased.

**In the stands Dean Thomas was yelling that Flint should be given a red card, which Ron asked about.**

"I feel so smart," James said with pride, he finally wasn't the pure blood in the dark.

**Dean explains that in soccer, if you're given a red card, you have to leave for the whole of the game. Hagrid agrees that should be a rule.**

"I'll agree with that," Lily muttered.

Remus shook his head and said, "there's not enough reserve players in the teams for someone to get sent off every time there's a foul."

Lily huffed but let the matter go.

**Back with the commentary, Jordan was being a bit biased as he claimed that after the cheating that had taken place,**

"Sounds like someone I know," Sirius muttered to a blushing Remus.

**but McGonagall interrupted him, and Jordan quickly rerouted into saying that after that open and obvious foul,**

"Now why does that remind me of someone," James began in an offhand tone of voice, trying to force back laughter.

"Alright, all of you," Remus said, going even more red in the face.

Harry was still laughing at all of them, and determined he would have to hear a full Quidditch story soon, but kept going with his own for now.

**to which McGonagall interrupts again, telling him to stop being so biased, and Jordan finally acquits that he was sure anyone could have nearly killed the other players Seeker,**

"Never let this kid graduate," James laughed.

**and that Gryffindor had been awarded its penalty. Harry was having a problem hearing that though, because his broom gave a sudden lurch.**

"What?" all four of them said in real concern now.

"Did someone run into you again?" Lily asked.

Harry felt eager now, this was the important thing he had been feeling, something about his broom bucking him would be important.

Glancing up he saw all of his family's concerned faces and he quickly said, "I'm fine, no permanent injuries, I don't even think this time left a bruise."

"This time?" Lily balked, "How many times do you fall off a broom?"

Harry pursed his lips, but as he would never actually be able to remember that, he decided to keep going.

**Harry wondered what on earth was going on, but he didn't have much of a chance to think before he was holding on for dear life as his broom began bucking around.**

"You didn't get a defective model did you?" James asked with worry.

"I would hope not," Sirius snapped, "or I'm going to be having some real problems with someone."

All three of them agreed viciously.

**Harry tried to get the attention of Wood, or anyone, to call a timeout, but he had no control whatsoever as his ride continued trying to unseat him.**

Harry was very happy that he was the one who got this chapter, his voice reading this in such a calm manner seemed to be keeping the other four from really freaking out, though they were all on the edge of their seat with tension.

**Lee Jordan was still commentating,**

"He doesn't notice," Remus said, frowning in agitation.

"I would think that would be a spectacle, the Seeker suddenly playing bucking broom," Lily agreed, nerves colouring her tone.

**stating how Slytherin was now in possession of the Quaffle, but gets hit in the face with a bludger, which the commentator hopes at least broke his nose,**

Not even this light humour could break the tension in the room now.

**even as Slytherin scored no one seemed to notice Harry's problem,**

"Not even his friends," Lily demanded.

**that Harry's broom was continuing to carry him higher from the ground, twitching all the way.**

"Not good, very not good," Sirius muttered, tapping his feet in agitation now, like he wanted to bolt to his feet and grab his own broom to stop this.

**Hagrid finds the behaviour odd, speculating if Harry really did lose control of his broom,**

"This thing really needs to pick what point of view it wants," Remus grumbled in agitation.

"At least someone noticed," Lily breathed, hoping Hagrid would now realize what was going on, and go get one of the teachers.

**and suddenly the whole crowd seemed to realize as one Harry's problem, pointing up at him in awe. They all gasp as one,**

"What?" All four demanded when Harry paused for breath, then baby Harry began crying again.

Remus had a hard time calming him down again, this really was becoming too frequent for the poor kid.

"I'm fine," Harry repeated soothingly, then hurried on so as not to keep them worried.

**as Harry lost a portion of the fight with his broom and was left dangling from one hand now.**

"Exactly how high up were you by then?" Lily demanded, not even noticing the way her voice cracked, or how high it was.

"Not a scratch remember," Harry reminded, managing to avoid answering.

**Seamus wonders if something could have happened when Flint had knocked into Harry's broom earlier.**

"No," James said at once, diverting his attention for the time being, "it takes very powerful, dark magic to..." he trailed off, losing all colour as he realized what he was saying.

"It must have been a dark wizard who let that troll in," Sirius whispered through numb lips.

"A holiday is one thing, but this is a school event in the middle of the year," Remus muttered, instead of fear creeping up in him though, he was getting mad. He trusted Dumbledore, he was the only headmaster who would have ever given a werewolf a chance to attend school like a normal child, and so he had to trust his judgement about this as well. He said so aloud, "If Dumbledore trusts Snape, then I think we shouldn't start pointing fingers-" he began, but at the confounded looks his two mates were giving him, he hurried on "but if Snape really did pull one over on him, then I get a crack at him."

Lily's lower lip was trembling. Yes, she'd heard the rumours same as them, more probably since she kept an ear out, and went into the public wizarding world more than all three of them. Yet, deep down, she had hoped they were just that, rumours. If she found out that Severus really had...

Her thoughts were cut short as Harry said "what on earth are you lot talking about? What exactly did Snape do?" There was clearly a history hear, and he really wanted to know what it was. He hadn't ever realized he'd never gotten his explanation earlier, he'd been so distracted. Clearly no one else had wanted to bring it up, as it was such a sore subject that they all started to flinch away again.

Sucking in a deep breath, Lily whispered "Harry dear, that really is a long story, but" she began when Harry looked about arguing, "I promise we will tell you after this chapter. I think these are things you should know. Right now though, I'd still like to hear your feet are safe on the ground again."

'Or know already' he thought to himself, rubbing his temple again. They were all implying something, and it was that old memory pain again. He should know the answer, know exactly what they were talking about, but the information was lost to him, for now.

James, Remus and Sirius all exchanged dark looks, unable to decide if they were angrier at what this book was implying Snape was trying to do, or more upset that a perfectly good Quidditch game was being ruined by it.

**Hagrid explains that this isn't possible, only truly dark magic could tamper with such a powerful broom, which gives Hermione an idea. She grabs up a pair of binoculars and begins looking wildly through the stands, spotting Snape.**

"No," Lily hissed, still refusing to believe it, "Harry, keep reading" she instructed when it looked like the three boys were about to explode.

**Ron grabs the binoculars away from her to see Snape muttering under his breath, his eyes locked on Harry.**

"Why that-" James began at the top of his lungs mind you, so before he could get any farther Remus bolted out of the room, the baby in his arms. He made his way quickly upstairs, set up a monitory spell, and then delayed even longer by checking the diaper, and doing other sorts of things that really didn't need doing right at this moment. Still, it did what he had intended, calmed him down.

In that moment, when he heard that Severus Snape was cursing Harry, his little cub, he was angrier then he had been in his entire life. He had been outraged when he found out Harry had been locked up in a cupboard, disgusted at the treatment he had to endure after this, and yes, even beyond reproach with fury at Harry nearly losing his life by a three headed dog, and not two months later, a troll.

Through all of that though, he could handle. He could control himself by telling his nature that, Harry was fine. Sitting right across the room from him, safe and comfortable. Not to mention the perpetrators for all of those crimes were out of his reach. If he attacked a house of muggles, he would be killed for sure, they wouldn't even consider Azkaban for his kind. The two monsters could be anywhere in the world at this moment in time, and even then he couldn't blame the beasts for their actions. They were mindless monsters.

Severus Snape was attacking Harry. That one thought just kept circling round and round in his head like a death drum roll. He knew how to get a hold of Snape, right now. Knew well and good that he had a grudge against Harry, simply for living. Yet never, in all his life, would he have attached that to attempting to kill the innocent boy.

His hand was curled into a fist in his hair, the pain grounding him slightly, when a small little fist tapped it. Blinking the red out of his eyes, he glanced down at the baby in his arms.

Remus loved Harry, loved him like he was his own. Remus could never have children of his own, he would never dream of it, so for all intents and purposes, he thought of Harry as his own. When James had told the three of them that his wife was pregnant, he had turned to Remus first, offering him the title of Godfather. It was because all three of his friends knew what Remus did, that he most likely would never settle down, never have his own family. It had just seemed right to make him the official part of Harry's life.

Remus had to actually remind his friends though, that he legally couldn't. The Ministry would never allow such a thing. That moment however, had changed his life. That very day he had intended to tell his friends that he was going to get a job at Gringotts as a curse breaker. Then, after hearing James' wishes, he had changed his mind. James, while still unemployed, was looking about to get an Auror job, though Moody didn't think much of him, James was making leaps and bounds to prove himself. Sirius was having to prove himself to, though in a different way, proving to the Ministry that in these dark times, a Black was refusing to join the rest of his family in Voldemort's ways.

Peter, as one of the smallest and sneakiest of the group, was practically on call for the Order of the Phoenix, while Lily only had a week left before her maternity leave ended and she would have to go back to her full time job of working at the Department of Magical Law enforcement.

Thinking about all of this, his friends, no family, and the little baby cuddled up in his arms, managed to calm him down. He was right to have left the room, since even now he could hear yelling below, and he never would have been able to control his temper, 'the monster within' his mind muttered snidely, down there.

Feeling much calmer, though still murderous and willing to help in any way that James and Sirius would allow, he put the toddler, whose eyes were growing heavier by the second, down into his crib for a nice long nap, put up a few spells to alert them downstairs when he woke up. Then made his way back downstairs.

The scene he walked in on gave him a brief pause. Lily and James were yelling in each other's faces, and Sirius had his wand out and was barking at Harry that he needed to move, now.

The spat between the married couple was familiar enough, those two had argued almost constantly while at school. Granted, they still argued almost constantly now when they were married, but it was certainly in lighter tones then what he was witnessing now.

Harry and Sirius' argument on the other hand looked far more pressing, so he quickly made his way over there, putting his hand on Sirius' shoulder and whispering, "you know he's right. We can not do anything about it now."

Sirius made to pull away, but then his grip tightened all the more on his shoulder and he said in more forceful tones, "I know you want to kill that bastard, and so do I, but getting thrown in Azkaban right now won't solve anything. We'll keep our word to Harry, and finish these books before we take care of him. All of them."

Sirius was still shaking, but he looked a mite bit calmer as he turned flashing eyes on him. Breathing like a wounded animal he said, "we didn't promise not to kill anyone else. Just those Dursley's."

"I said," Harry jumped in quickly, "you wouldn't leave the house until we were done. You promised Sirius, please."

Whatever lingering feelings Remus may have had about wanting to leave as well dissolved the second he looked into Harry's bright green eyes. He looked near tears, he seemed truly frightened. Not of them though, but of them leaving. Whether it was an abandonment issue, highly possible given the boys living conditions or lack thereof, or just a fear of the unknown, outside this house, neither of them could guess.

Still, they both agreed, and then Sirius turned to him and whispered back, "I'm sorry I didn't-" he began, but Remus cut him off, saying with a small smile, "Don't be. Harry's always been able to calm me down, and apparently he always will." The two friends shared a genuine smile before turning to the bickering couple.

Neither had drawn there wand yet, which was small consolation for the row they were having.

Remus went over to James while Harry began talking softly to his mother. James was angrier than Remus had ever seen him, and who could blame him, but he made the same argument to this friend as he had with the other. James didn't exactly calm down, but he did stomp over to the armchair and flop into it, not looking at anyone in the room.

Lily took a bit more convincing, Remus wasn't even sure where she stood in all of this since he hadn't been listening to the actual words in their argument, but she to finally sat back down, throwing a nasty look over at James just to make sure her feelings were clear to him.

Harry finally breathed in relief, looking around at all four of them, before sinking into the couch beside his mom. Guess he really should have remembered something like this beforehand. Still, it was quite a shock to him as well. Yet he couldn't shake this feeling, something he would never speak aloud to anyone in this room for fear he was wrong, that he didn't think Snape had done this. Why though? There was no other suspect, who else could it be? Taking a deep, long breath, Harry managed to continue reading.

**Hermione hisses that she's going to take care of it and bolts off, while Ron sits terrified as he can only watch his twin brothers fly up and try to pull Harry on to one of their brooms, to no success. They're left to fly underneath Harry, clearly hoping to catch him when he fell.**

It was a testament to how tense the atmosphere was that no one made the comment at how much they appreciated this. It's what any good teammate would do after all.

**They dropped lower so to stop the agitated broom from going higher.**

All four breathed a silent bit of relief, at least this wouldn't end so badly. Even if Harry did fall now, they all had confidence these two would catch him.

**Flint clearly had no concern for any of this, as he seized the Quaffle and started scoring points while no one was watching.**

James screwed up his face, but he was still too keyed up to comment on this open and blatant disrespect of the game, and especially his son's life.

**Hermione was on the other end of the stands now, fighting her way through the crowd and accidentally knocking into a few people in her haste, like Professor Quirrell, to make it to Snape's backside and silently set his robes on fire with the BlueBell flame.**

Now all three boys smiled vindictively. Lighting him on fire was the least of that man's worries, and it would certainly do the trick of breaking his eye contact.

None of them glanced over towards Lily to see her reaction.

**It only took a few seconds for Snape to realize he was on fire, and by the time he reacted Hermione had scooped the fire away and was sprinting out of sight.**

"Pity that," Sirius broke the silence, wishing Hermione had let that fire burn far longer.

Lily still couldn't bring it in herself to open her mouth though.

**Up in the air Harry got control of his broom back and was now speeding back towards the ground. In the stands Ron turned comfortingly to Neville and told him it was okay to look now, as the boy had buried his face in Hagrid's jacket rather than look.**

"Compassionate lad," James said, a small, barely visible smile made its way onto him. Still angrier then he would probably ever be in his life, but Harry had just said he was safe and back on his broom. He could breathe a bit easier now, "I hope you start hanging out with him a bit more Harry."

Harry briefly glanced up, smiling at his dad and deciding to say, "yeah, I may not be as close to Neville as I am with Ron and Hermione, but I really feel like we are friends."

**When Harry hit the ground he doubled up on all fours, coughing,**

All four of them winced at that, not blaming him in the least. That had been quite a stunt after all. Lily even privately thought that if anyone made fun of him for it, she would probably praise Harry for standing up to them.

**and something gold fell into his hand.**

"What?" The tension finally began seeping out of the room as all four of them spoke in unison again.

Lily pursed her lips back up though when James threw her a haughty look, but Remus and Sirius leaned in eagerly, Remus saying, "you can't mean-"

"Oh I think he does," Sirius said eagerly at the look on Harry's face.

All four of them were still angry beyond belief, but finally had to acknowledge that, like with the Dursley's, they couldn't do anything about it now. So, they would accept this, and in the meantime think of new ways to get away with murder.

Harry read on eagerly.

**Somehow Harry had managed to catch the snitch in all the confusion, ending the game in complete confusion as he waved it around in triumph.**

"That's going in the books," Remus cheered, while James and Sirius looked like they were going to tackle Harry to the ground hugging him.

Laughing with glee, all four boys spent a good ten minutes talking about the good, highlight points of the game. Harry adding in a few details the book had left out.

Lily sat back, smiling slightly at them all. They all avoided a topic that could cause strife to begin again, and as soon as it appeared they were running out of steam on the subject, Harry hurried on, ignoring another feeling in his gut. That Snitch was important. Why though? Because it was his first catch? He would just have to believe that for now, no matter what his organ told him.

**Flint tried to argue the matter, saying he hadn't caught it but nearly swallowed it,**

"It still counts," James said in a sing song voice.

**but the game was still won. Harry was celebrating in Hagrid's hut, where Ron and Hermione caught him up to speed on what they'd seen.**

"Not the way one usually enjoys a victory," Sirius said indulgently.

"But as it's Hagrid, we'll allow this," Remus finished for him, then they both cracked up laughing, finally feeling like themselves again.

**Hagrid told Ron and Hermione they were crazy, why would Snape attack Harry?**

Swallowing bile, none of them made to say a word. If they were stuck in the house with each other until these books were over, they should probably at least try to avoid killing Lily, who didn't look any more up to chatting then they did.

**The three of them tried to convince him of what they knew, like how Snape had tried to get past the three headed dog. Hagrid's response is to ask how they knew about Fluffy.**

"Fluffy?" They all said, looking faint.

"He named it Fluffy?" Remus repeated.

"Cerberus is a Rottweiler with three heads, they're not even fluffy dogs!" Sirius yelped.

"That's what you caught on," James demanded, fighting back a smile.

His two friends smiled at him, happy to see he was shaking off the visages of his fight as well.

**Hagrid admits the dog is his, he'd bought him only last year and lent him to Dumbledore to guard, but Harry interrupted by eagerly asking him to go on.**

"Now why would you interrupt him," Remus demanded, "if you'd said nothing, he probably would have just kept talking and told you."

"I was eager, and he was already starting to trail off," Harry shrugged.

**Hagrid told them to stop asking questions, because this was all top secret.**

"They didn't ask you to begin with," Lily finally spoke up, avoiding every eye in the room, "he just asked about the name. You were the one who was about to tell him."

Silence for a long, drawn out moment, before James finally spoke up, "yeah Hagrid, you can't tell Harry not to ask a question he never asked."

The couple shared another long moment to simply stare at each other, and Harry only began reading again when the two started smiling at each other.

**Harry persisted that Snape was trying to steal it, and Hagrid shot back that since Snape was a teacher he'd do nothing of the sort.**

Then they broke eye contact and looked to opposite corners of the room again. Harry really wanted to get this chapter over with now, so he hurried on.

**Hermione snapped back, then why did Snape just try to kill Harry? Clearly the day's events had changed her mind on the subject.**

"Talk about an understatement," Remus muttered.

**She insists she saw him doing a jinx, because they take eye contact, and Snape hadn't been blinking.**

"Hermione's know it all bit finally came in handy," Sirius said in genuine and pleasured surprise.

**Hagrid tried to pacify them, saying a teacher would never! What that dog was guarding was between Dumbledore, and Nicolas Flamel. Harry interrupted again, exclaiming now they knew another name involved.**

"Again, I will say, why did you cut him off," Remus actually laughed this time.

Harry smiled to himself, but didn't speak aloud what he was thinking, since the others looked like they were finally heading towards a good mood again. Privately he was thinking that he had blurted just then for the same reason he had blurted out that thing about motorcycles back during Dudley's birthday. He had simply learned, and hadn't unlearned yet like he had now, that nobody listened to him when he talked. So when he had interrupted Hagrid, he had been talking to himself more than anything. The exclamation of surprise probably hadn't helped much though.

Instead he just shrugged by way of answer, and read the last sentence.

**Hagrid was clearly furious with himself.**

"Why?" James asked, "he's just some old alchemist."

"How do you know?" Lily demanded.

"He's got a chocolate frog card, but it's super rare. I think they made like five. Plus, he's also mentioned on Dumbledore's."

"Of course you'd know that," she said to the ceiling.

Harry beamed at the pair, pleased beyond measure that they were still talking to each other, and passed the book to his mom saying, "chapter's over. Did you want to read?"


	13. THE MIRROR OF ERISED

Lily nodded as she took the book, checked her spot, then closed it and eyed her son briefly before saying, "I'm keeping my promise son. You wanted to know about Snape," she sucked in a huge breath and said, "so here it goes."

She was the only one who spoke for almost a solid half hour. The three boys didn't trust themselves to speak on the matter without cursing something in the process. When she was finally done, ending with the last bit of information they knew about Snape's current whereabouts, or thought they knew since they were rumors, she looked pleading at her son, begging him to understand what these other three just couldn't. There was too much bad blood between the lot, but Harry didn't have to inherit his father's grudge, simply based on this books facts about him.

When she was done, Harry nodded slowly to himself, rubbing his temple again. Everything his mother had just told him came as a surprise, but he also got that feeling again. The one he had when they had told him Remus' story. He felt right again, whole, like another part of his life was explained. Then he met his mother's eyes, and said to the room at large, "alright. I'm not going to say anything then. I'll wait until these books are over before making a final judgement call."

Lily beamed and threw her arms around her son, thanking Merlin she had such an understanding boy.

Then when she leaned back from the hug, she stood up, marched over to James in the chair, and practically dragged him into the kitchen.

Once in there and hopefully out of earshot of the others, she said, "I'm sorry."

James blinked, he hadn't been expecting that. Before he could say anything though, she kept going, "It's just that, I have to believe Sev wouldn't do this. You know counter curses are done in the same manner, and-" her voice caught on a catch in her throat.

Taking this moment, James cut in with, "Lily I'm not mad at you for defending him. Lord knows if I was, I'd never not be mad at you." She made a face at him, but he pressed on, "I was just hurt when you made it seem like you were going to stand there and do nothing when it said he was going to kill our son."

Lily shook her head hard from side to side, her hair whipping into her face as she spluttered, "No, I would never!" Then, when she saw the look in those hazel eyes, he still looked beyond hurt and unbelieving she rushed on, "I was just trying to get you to see that, you have been wrong about him before. At least try to do what Harry is, give him these seven years at school to prove that he's not the man you think he is."

James' face scrunched up. He would never like Snape. How could he, when James still had a lurking fear that one of these days he was going to come and try to take Lily away from him, for good this time. He had never shared this fear with anyone, but it still lurked in the back of his mind every night like a growing fungus. He thought his friends would tell him he was ridiculous, and Lily would probably slap him for suggesting she couldn't handle herself and take care of her own life. Still, to appease an obviously upset love of his life, he did promise her this.

They made their way back into the living room to find a rousing debate between these three boys, Sirius and Remus were trying to convince Harry that it was a great idea for him to go and pull a prank or two at school. Despite the fact that Harry was out of school and could do no such thing, or already had with no influence from them.

Harry was laughing along and trying to explain that he really thought this was a bad idea, but without any real force in it. He seemed to be enjoying just sitting and talking to them at all.

When the two parents reentered the room, Harry went quiet and looked at the two as if fearing they would start arguing again, while Remus and Sirius took one look at them and began gagging at once.

"Please," Sirius choked, clutching at his throat, "please at least leave the room if you two are going to start making out again."

"We're begging, save poor Harry's eyes from such a sight," Remus agreed in disgust.

Harry was laughing again at once, while the married couple took their spots on either side of him.

James and his two friends began bickering at once, the two of them arguing that this was how they made up all the time in seventh year, while Lily looked about for her place.

Once she found it, she began reading.

**Christmas was on the way.**

And immediately frowned with concern. Fragile as she felt right now, she might just burst into tears all over again if Harry, A) went back to the Dursley's house and was ignored or B) stayed at an empty castle for the holidays.

The other three looked just as concerned about this, so Harry was quick to say, "I have a great feeling about this Christmas."

At their astounded looks he said, "Really. I think I get a wonderful gift, several actually."

When they all beamed at him with pure joy, Harry decided to decline mentioning that there was something else that happened on Christmas that had been bothering him since he'd laid eyes on his parents. This was not the first time he'd seen their faces, of that he was sure, but like the book had said the Dursley's had no pictures of them. Then why was he so sure on this day that he might just get his eleven year old wish?

Brushing it off, he let his mother go on without a fuss.

**Days in December were usually seen snow covered. The lake was frozen over, and the Weasley twins got into trouble for enchanting snowballs to follow around and bounce off of Quirrell's turban.**

"An old favorite gag of Peter's," James laughed.

**Owls that managed to get through the storm had to be nursed back to health.**

"Poor dears," Lily muttered.

**Potions classes were the worst, as students were forced to huddle around their cauldrons for their only source of warmth.**

"Yeesh, at least Slughorn put warming charms in there," Sirius grumbled, shivering a bit himself at the sound of that.

**Malfoy was his usual self, loudly making the comment how he pitied students who had to stay at school for Holidays because they weren't wanted at home.**

"You really shouldn't talk about yourself like that," Remus snapped, anger bubbling up in him again at once.

Harry wouldn't let himself feel dejected at Malfoy's snip, instead beamed over at a man he really was starting to think of as his Uncle, not that he had anything real to compare the feeling to, but it felt right all the same.

**Malfoy had been furious Slytherin had lost its match,**

"A real pleasure I'm sure," Sirius grumbled.

**and had tried to run the joke that Harry would soon be replaced with a frog on his team.**

"I'm sure it wasn't any funnier to them then it is to us," Lily said, rolling her eyes at these childish antics.

**Nobody else ever laughed along though, to impressed with Harry having stayed on his broom the way he had, so Malfoy had resorted back to picking on Harry for not having a proper family.**

James grit his teeth so much that it was starting to hurt. He was really beginning to hate this Malfoy brat almost as much as he hated Snivellus. He would always take jabs at all four of them, he and Sirius for being rather spoiled and rich, and Remus for his lack thereof. Still, he kept himself quite, for now, no sense in fighting with the book at least.

Harry was just wondering why Malfoy had made that leap. It was true, but as Harry had never even really spoken to anyone outside of his two friends, Malfoy had made quite the pompous jump that Harry wasn't spending his first Christmas back with anyone, made him unwanted at home. He wasn't wrong, but the oddness was there all the same.

**Harry didn't deny the fact that he was staying at school for the Christmas break,**

"Can't decide if that's a relief we won't have to hear about them, or depressing he's going to be in an empty castle," Sirius sighed. He and Remus had always stayed at school together, while James and Peter had nearly always gone home during the holidays.

"Go with the first one," Remus sighed, running his hand threw his hair sadly.

**and Harry was looking forward to the holiday for once. That had a lot to do with the fact that the Weasley's were all staying as well, since Ron's parents were going to visit Charlie in Romania.**

"Oh, that's wonderful," Lily beamed, while all of the boys perked up at once as well.

"This really is going to be fun then," Remus and Sirius both said, remembering back to all the times they'd had in an almost deserted castle, with tons of victims that weren't expecting a holiday prank.

Nobody bothered to ask why Charlie's siblings hadn't come along, they were sure the parents just wanted to spend some time with just one of their children on a holiday.

**That day as they exited the dungeons they came into the entrance to find Hagrid hauling in some huge fir trees. Ron offered help, but Hagrid told him he had it handled, as Malfoy walked by and mocked Ron for that probably being a nicer tree then his family could ever afford.**

"That boy has no boundaries," Lily said in disgust, while all four boys looked like they dearly wanted to punch Malfoy in his face.

**Ron made a dive at Malfoy just as Snape came up the stairs.**

"Gah, can you say timing," Sirius snarled, really he hoped someone had a chance to shove it to that kid soon.

**Snape tried to tell Ron off, but Hagrid stepped in and said that Malfoy had been insulting Ron's family.**

"Thank you Hagrid," Remus said to the ceiling in relief. If he had to deal with another instance that Harry got in trouble because no one was there for his side, he might have lost his temper again.

"I meant what I said before," James said, "Hagrid is my favorite person in Harry's life right now."

"He certainly seems to be keeping an eye on him," Lily agreed fondly.

Sirius was still disgruntled Ron hadn't had the chance to punch Malfoy.

**Snape clearly didn't care, still docking points from Gryffindor before shooing them all away.**

"Merry Bloody Christmas to you to," James hissed in disgust.

**Ron was grinding his teeth in frustration as Malfoy walked away, wishing he could get back at him,**

"And I can't wait to hear all about it," Sirius said brightly.

**Harry corrected saying he hated both of them, Malfoy and Snape.**

"And I don't blame you one bit," Remus agreed.

**Hagrid tried to cheer them up, reminding them it was the holidays after all, and invited them into the Great Hall to see the decorations. Professors McGonagall and Flitwick were inside, hanging golden streamers and bobbers everywhere, and Hagrid was dragging in the twelfth tree that towered around with magical decorations.**

"The castle always did seem even more magical when they decorated it," Lily agreed fondly.

**They admire the decorations for a few moments before Hermione reminds them they need to run off to the library. Harry and Ron agree, and Hagrid reminds how close it is to the holiday for them to be doing homework.**

"Nah," James said, "we always tried to get as much homework as we could done, so we could enjoy the actual break."

"I'm rather impressed," Lily admitted.

"Sure, we needed all the time we could get to plan out some of our ideas," Sirius agreed.

Lily then chose to roll her eyes at the ceiling.

**Harry tells him they weren't doing school stuff, but trying to find information about Nicolas Flamel.**

"Oh," all four of them said.

"Yeah," Harry said sheepishly, "I didn't have Dad to tell me who he was, so we had no idea what we were doing."

James momentary pride and thrill at hearing his son refer to him like that for the first time in his life didn't quite cover the fact that all four adults grimaced at the comment, so to change the subject Harry asked, "You said he was an alchemist? What's that, what do they do?"

James gave himself a little shake before answering, "err, I think mainly there goal is to turn metal into gold. It's a really shrouded branch of magic, which is why Flamel's card is so bloody rare. Had to nearly pay my weight in gold for the thing. His card didn't say much about it, just talked about his interests and his wife."

Harry nodded along and then asked, "So, you don't know what Flamel has to do with this then?"

"No," he admitted, shaking his head, he hadn't had much time to think on it really, but now that he was, all he could come up with was, "I know a lot of papers mentioned he and Dumbledore were working on something together, but I've no idea what. This was years ago to, I don't even think my parents were born, but really I've no idea."

Harry nodded in disappointment, as did the others. None of them had even heard of Flamel, so they had no idea what was going on.

**Hagrid was shocked, demanding to know why they'd do such a thing. Hermione says they were just curious is all.**

"Oh I'm so sure," Remus snickered, no person in their right mind would believe that.

**Harry agrees, then admits his frustration that he was sure he'd read that name somewhere else before.**

"Oh Harry," James said laughing, "now you see the importance of reading your Chocolate Frog Cards?"

Harry nodded, hoping his younger self would remember this as well soon. He already had a slight headache from remembering all the books they had sorted through.

**Hagrid refuses to say anything else about it, and Ron just shrugs and says they'd have to find out for themselves then.**

Lily couldn't help but smile indulgently at this. She knew better than to berate about their curiosity, she would have to admit even she would have done exactly what they were doing now.

**They had been looking in the library for that name ever since Hagrid had let it slip, but the problem was they had no idea what he may have been famous for to get into a book.**

"There's a new saying," Sirius laughed, "looking for a wizard in the library."

"I can't even imagine that," Remus said in disbelief, "stumbling through books and hoping to come across his name."

"We didn't have a better idea," Harry defended.

**The library was huge, tens of thousands of books on every subject imaginable, so they had no idea how to start.**

"You could look until your seventh year and still not get through half of them," James agreed.

Harry balked at him, had they done this? "Maybe, but I really think I find out about him over Christmas." Yet he wasn't so sure. Perhaps he was wrong, and they really never did find out the mystery of the tiny package.

Lily simply decided to keep going, Harry was now looking quite discouraged, and she really was feeling bad for him.

**Hermione tried to do it by sorting through subjects, while Ron wandered around and grabbed books randomly.**

Remus laughed, saying, "good a system as any I suppose."

**Harry on the other hand wandered back towards the Restricted Section. These were books for the higher levels of learning, filled with all manner of Dark Magic for advanced Defense Against the Dark Art's classes. Harry wasn't allowed to just search through these though, as you needed sign permission to get back there.**

All four adults were now frowning, hoping dearly this object had nothing to do with that section. If it did, it would only heighten there worry about what was being kept in a school full of children.

**Harry was interrupted from his mental speculation by the librarian, Madam Irma Pince, asking from behind him what Harry was doing. Harry said 'nothing,' and she snapped that he could get out.**

James huffed at that, muttering, "she never did like students. Why she works with them is beyond me."

"Can you believe an adult would actually yell at someone to get out of a Library," Sirius laughed, "that's as backwards as it gets."

**Harry wished he'd come up with some better excuse, but left the library anyways. He and his friends had already decided not to ask her for help,**

"But I bet she'd know in a second," Lily sighed.

**They were sure she'd know where to find Nicolas Flamel, but they didn't want the news getting around to Snape that they were asking.**

"Now you're just being paranoid," Remus laughed, "since I doubt Snape would even think to look in on you lot looking up some old name."

"We were being cautious," Harry defended, feeling stupider by the minute.

"Don't worry love," Lily said, patting him on the cheek, "they're only messing with you. I'd be more worried if they didn't."

Harry relaxed at once, smiling around at them all again.

**Harry waited outside the library without any hope that Ron and Hermione would come out with any better luck. They'd been looking for two weeks now to find this guy, but it was hard going when all they really had were odd times in between classes and Madam Pince breathing down their necks. Harry knew what they really needed was a long, unsupervised period of time.**

"So you plan on spinning the whole of your break in there?" James asked in disgust, "really Harry, someone in that school needs to teach you how to live."

"Oh I doubt they will," Sirius replied for Harry, "have you ever known any eleven year old that can focus during the Holidays?"

"I seem to recall us getting some of our best work done then," Remus argued, glimmers of mischief appearing in his eyes.

"Yeah, but that was something we actually wanted to do," Sirius finalized.

**Harry's guess was right, Ron and Hermione came out a few minutes later with dejected looks on their faces. Hermione prompted the two boys to keep looking while she went home for the break, and to send her an owl if they find anything. Ron suggest Hermione could ask her parents if they've heard the name, but Hermione tells them they wouldn't know because they're dentists.**

"She could still ask them," Lily said, thinking it over, "Muggles do actually know some famous wizards, like Merlin for example."

"Still, if we haven't heard of him, I doubt a couple of Muggles would have," James said with a shrug.

Lily couldn't argue with that.

**Once the holidays had started, Ron and Harry were having too good a time to think much about Flamel.**

"Saw that coming," Sirius chuckled.

**Since practically the rest of the school was gone, they had the run of the common room and spent days next to the fire toasting anything you can spear, and plotting ways to get Malfoy expelled which weren't always plausible but always fun.**

"Brings back all the good memories," Remus chuckled.

"You stayed behind during break?" Harry asked curiously.

"Oh yeah" Sirius nodded along with his friend, "Moony and I always stayed behind."

Harry bit his lip, wanting to ask why, but feeling it was a bit rude, but then Remus answered for him anyways, "my parents loved me dearly, but it was very hard for them to ah, take care of me during the holidays. The school was much better equipped, so I chose to stay there."

"I hated my house" Sirius said in bright tones, "so I always kept around to keep him company."

"I went home most years," James added on without being asked, "my parents pinned for me if I was gone too long."

"You would think they'd be glad to be rid of your big head," Lily muttered.

James kept going, pretending he hadn't heard that, "and Peter always went home as well. His mother doted on him like no other."

"Poor thing, she's been sick for a month now," Remus said sadly, "which is why we haven't blamed him for not being around too much."

Harry nodded along sadly, and then let his mother continue reading when she realized how depressed the other boys were getting.

**Ron also started teaching Harry how to play wizards chess which was just like Muggle chess, except the pieces moved on voice command.**

"I've never been any good at that game," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You were always too impatient to learn," Remus chuckled.

**Ron had been using his for so long they responded on command, while Harry played with a set Seamus Finnigan had let him borrow, and they didn't listen to him at all.**

"See, it's not just me," Sirius cried.

"You can't blame it all on the pieces," James laughed, "just admit you never could remember which way the pieces went."

Sirius huffed and crossed his arms, mumbling something about ganging up on him.

**Harry was having such a good time that on Christmas Eve he went to bed looking forward to another fun day, though not actually expecting any presents.**

Lily pursed her lips but quickly read on, keeping Harry's words in mind.

**As much to Harry's surprise as anyone, he was awoken by Ron the next day to find a small pile of wrapped gifts on his bed. Harry exclaims his surprise and Ron just laughs, asking what did Harry expect, turnips?**

Not one of them could think of a thing to say to this. They were all too pleased that Harry had a proper Christmas at all to mock Ron's comment.

**The first parcel contained a whittled flute, with a note from Hagrid.**

"You have a musical talent we don't know about?" Remus chuckled.

"Doubt it," Harry laughed himself, feeling warm all over at these feelings.

**Hagrid had obviously made it himself. When Harry blew it, it sounded a bit like an owl.**

"Maybe you could use it to call your bird to you," Sirius chuckled.

**The second wasn't as well received. It contained a fifty-pence piece from the Dursley's.**

**"** Friendly," Harry said, thinking privately that was the nicest thing they'd probably ever given him.

All four adults gritted their teeth in frustration, but Harry was clearly in too good a mood, and they refused to let their moods be sunk as well.

**Ron was fascinated with the muggle money, having never seen currency shaped like that.**

"I'm guessing he's never seen muggle money then," Lily smiled.

**Harry lets him keep it, then turns back and wonders who the other present could be from. Ron points out one package that he suspects could be from his mother, as Ron may have made the comment Harry wasn't expecting any gifts.**

"It's official," Lily beamed, feeling close to tears at the way the Weasley's had taken Harry in, "we are taking Harry over to the Weasley's as soon as we're done here."

"Might be a bit odd," Remus said, trying not to laugh, "we've never been formally introduced. You just want to show up on the doorstep?"

"I'll think of something," Lily said with confidence, and James chuckled to himself, not begrudging her this at all. In fact they were all thinking to themselves that they really needed to come up with a way to thank both Hagrid and the Weasley family.

**Harry did indeed get a sweater knitted by Mrs. Weasley. He also got a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione.**

"Best kind of gifts you can get," Sirius chuckled.

**Harry unwrapped his last present to have something silvery grey fall to the floor.**

"No way," all three boys breathed. It was impossible, that was locked up in the house, right now.

Puzzled, Lily gave them an odd look, but she couldn't deny she was thinking the same thing.

Harry groaned slightly, pressing his fist to his head in pain, but quickly shook it off at their concerned looks, saying, "I, I think I know what that is. I don't-" pursing his lips, Lily decided to quickly read on before Harry pressured himself too much.

**Harry tries it on and finds it to be an invisibility cloak.**

"It can't be mine," James said, praying that he was wrong, that his son really had been able to inherit his birthright, "my cloak is here in this house."

"How many invisibility cloaks can there really be though?" Sirius breathed, leaning forward eagerly.

"Perhaps Hagrid found it when he took Harry," Remus offered.

"It's possible," Lily murmured, "we might have tried to hide Harry under it, but of course he would have been crying..."

All four of them were getting exceptionally pale the longer they thought about this, but James still managed to say, "yes, but then why wouldn't Hagrid have given it to him with the flute?"

They were all stumped, and Harry was fighting back the urge to be sick, the building tension in his head from knowing the answer, yet not being able to grasp it...

Lily decided to read on, hoping they would get an answer.

**Harry eagerly put it on and then looked into the mirror to find he had vanished.**

"Quite a shocker at first," Sirius agreed, wanting to laugh as he thought back on all the times he'd snuck up on people in that.

**A note had fallen out of the folds,**

"Explaining everything to him I hope," James muttered, shifting his weight around in agitation.

**and Harry read it to find that his father had left this cloak in someone's possession before he'd passed away,**

"I did what?" James balked.

"No one even knows it exists except for the people here," Sirius spluttered.

"And Peter," Remus added on quietly.

Everyone got very quiet as they all thought of something at once. Peter hadn't been hanging around them much lately, Peter had asked to borrow James cloak for a few missions for the Order, what if, James sucked in a deep breath and said, "what if Peter's still alive? He could have borrowed my cloak, but there are a million reasons why he wouldn't be here, or even heard about us dying for ages."

The others all exchanged looks, then Remus asked, "but then why wouldn't he have come looking for Harry?"

James swallowed thickly, but he had no answer for that. None of them did.

Lily reached around Harry to give James shoulder a soft squeeze, saying, "I guess we won't know until we find out, yeah?"

Nodding numbly, he didn't protest as Lily kept going. All three boys had a mix of feelings they were sorting through. Honestly, it may not have been Peter, but even Remus or Sirius in the same circumstance, but it still didn't answer the question of where they would have been for the past eleven years of Harry's life?

**and that the person was now passing it along to Harry. There was no signature, and Harry couldn't help but wonder who'd sent the cloak.**

"We'd all like to know that," Sirius grumbled.

**Wondering if it really had once belonged to his father?**

"Oh, I've no doubt about that," James murmured.

**But before he could do much else the twins made an appearance, and Harry stowed it away, not wanting anyone else to know about it quite yet.**

"Can't blame you on that one," Remus agreed, "James didn't show me that thing for almost six months."

**The twins were wearing sweaters as well, one with the letter F, the other had a G stitched into it.**

"They switched those," James said at once.

"Unless they didn't, because they knew one would assume they would switch those," Sirius laughed.

"Unless they thought you would think they hadn't switched them, because they knew people would think they had, so they did switch them," Remus joined in, smiling at the inept sentence.

"Please," Lily begged, "don't do this to me? We'll be here for an hour, and I doubt we ever really find out."

"Oh fine," James huffed.

**Fred comes over to investigate Harry's sweater and claims it was better than theirs,**

"Oh, I doubt that's true," Lily said at once.

**while George turns his attention on Ron and demands to know why he wasn't wearing his. Ron groans that he hates the color maroon,**

"I'm sure it clashes with his hair marvelously," Sirius laughed.

**while Fred points out that Ron doesn't have a letter on his. Obviously that was because Ron didn't forget his name, unlike the twins who knew their names where Gred and Forge.**

"I'm sure that's exactly what your mum intended to name you," Remus cackled.

**Percy stuck his head in then, claiming they were making too much noise.**

"It's Christmas," James frowned, "really, does this boy ever have fun?"

**The twins notice at once he isn't wearing his sweater either, and demand he put it on despite Percy's protests.**

"Well you should wear it anyways," Lily huffed, she thought it was a lovely and sweet idea.

**They then insist Percy will be sitting with them at dinner and march him back out of the room in between them.**

"I'm sure he loved every moment of that," Sirius laughed.

**That night at dinner the school went all out on the holiday feast, including sets of wizard crackers. When you pulled one the whole thing exploded, releasing prizes inside. One set released some mice that ran every which way.**

"Ew," Lily crinkled up her nose, picturing all those mice running over the food.

"I'm sure they made Mrs. Norris happy though," Remus chuckled.

**At the High Table, Dumbledore had swapped out his hat for a bonnet,**

"Lovely mental image," James laughed.

**and Harry could see McGonagall talking happily with Hagrid, both of whom had clearly been heavily drinking. At one point Hagrid leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek, causing her to giggle.**

"Ugh, take it back," Sirius cried, pressing his fists to his eyes.

"All the teachers have clearly indulged too much," Lily said, crinkling up her nose again.

**Harry had got his own set of rewards from the crackers, including his own wizard chess set, and a grow your own warts kit.**

"We always used to get great prank ideas from those things," Remus laughed.

**Those mice had disappeared, and Harry had a feeling they would turn into Mrs. Norris' dinner.**

"See, even the evil cat's happy on this merry day," James chuckled.

**Then all of the Gryffindor boys went outside and had a wild snowball fight until it got to cold and dark, then went upstairs where he and Ron played a game of chess. Percy tried to help, which ended up doing more harm than good.**

"Poor Harry," Remus agreed, "I can't stand when people try to backseat play me."

"Well, you can't blame that one on me," James and Sirius both said.

**That evening Fred and George somehow got a hold of Percy's prefect badge, and he chased his twin brothers around the common room trying to get it back.**

"Wow, why didn't we ever think of that?" James whistled.

"Because I would have killed you both," Remus said pleasantly.

**It had been the best Christmas of Harry's life, but something had been nagging in the back of his head all day. Who had sent that invisibility cloak?**

"I really hope you figure that one out, soon," James pleaded, eyeing his son for any trace of remembrance.

Harry was shaking his head sadly from side to side, as mystified as they were.

**That night after everyone went to bed, Harry creeped out of his own and tried the cloak on again.**

"You have more restraint than any of us," Sirius told him, "I would have run around the castle first thing when I found it."

**Standing there, invisible in the darkness and the folds of his new cloak, an idea came to Harry. He could go anywhere in the castle, and no one would ever know.**

"Well that's going a bit far," Remus said lightly "it makes you invisible, not impervious."

"I just hope Harry doesn't use it to sneak into classrooms, and set up a trap so that when a certain student sat down-" Lily began hotly.

"That was never proven," James declared, pointing wildly at her.

Lily just rolled her eyes at all of them.

**He considered waking Ron and taking him, but then decided he'd use it alone this very first time.**

James shrugged, saying, "Nah, I used it at home by myself all the time, I took Sirius along with me our first night there."

"Which is how we got caught," Sirius chuckled, "I'd never used the thing before, and we weren't used to sharing yet."

"You two still don't know how to share," Remus rolled his eyes.

**He pondered for a moment on where to go, before settling on the Library.**

"Really?" All three boys demanded in disgust.

"The whole of Hogwarts, and you choose to go in there?" James demanded, looking faint.

"That's a waist of the cloak," Sirius agreed.

"Leave him be," Lily said before Remus could jump in, "the Library has been on his mind for weeks now, I don't blame him for that being his first thought."

All three boys muttered a bit more, but Lily wouldn't hear it and just moved on.

**The Restricted Section was at the back of the library.**

"Well that's not so bad," James said, picking himself back up slightly, "at least he's doing something he couldn't do during normal school hours."

Lily rolled her eyes, honestly why these boys wanted Harry to be a rule breaker was still beyond her, but she couldn't fault Harry for his curiosity driving him to this place.

**Harry stepped over the bit of rope separating this spot from the rest of the books and began inspecting the titles. Then he heard some whispering, and it seemed to be coming from the books.**

"Might be," Remus said curiously, "I doubt Pince used more than a bit of rope to make sure no one snuck back there."

"Good point," Sirius said slowly, "there really might be a spell on those books."

Now very curious, Lily read on.

**Harry chose one thick tomb from the shelves and let it fall open in his lap, only for the book to start screaming in his face.**

"Oh my gosh," James gasped, before laughing his ass off.

"Of all the rotten luck," Sirius cackled.

"It's not funny," Harry mumbled, rubbing his ears in remembrance, "that thing gave me a heart attack."

All three boys were still laughing at this spot of misfortune, even Lily wanted to bite her lip to stop from laughing for a moment, before she remembered, "you know this most likely summoned Madam Pince."

That dried up all of their laughter pretty quickly, James noting, "well, look at it this way, can you really imagine Harry getting into much trouble for sneaking into the Library?"

"McGonagall might reward him again," Remus agreed, his voice still trembling slightly with laughter.

**Harry put the book back and made a break for the door, only to find Filch blocking the entrance.**

"Really, I swear that man doesn't sleep," Sirius said in disbelief.

**Harry had to sneak very carefully past him, the books scream still ringing his ears.**

"What a first use," James chuckled.

"I'll give you credit, we never thought of that," Remus agreed.

**Harry stopped in front of a suit of armor. He'd been so busy getting away from the library, he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going.**

"That's like, the third time you've made that mistake," Sirius said in disappointment.

"Well he's gotta learn somehow," James said sadly, wishing that Harry would find another of his treasured objects.

**Harry knew there was a suit of armor near the kitchens, but he knew he was several floors above that.**

"There are suits of armor all over the castle," Lily said in confusion.

"Yeah, but this one was posed a certain way," Harry tried to explain.

"Okay, that makes sense," Remus agreed.

**Before Harry could think long on it, he heard voices coming from behind him, and recognized Filch telling someone that there had been an intruder in the restricted section.**

"Where did you inherit all this bad karma from?" Remus demanded.

"I think it's retribution for you lot," Lily said primly, "that karma's getting back at Harry for all the stunts you pulled at school."

"Don't say that Lily," James said, clutching his chest in pain, "I'd never forgive myself for that."

"I think it's just Harry's ignorance," Sirius said bracingly, "things should get better the longer he's at school."

**He saw that Filch was talking to Snape as the pair came around the corner, and Harry realized that though they couldn't see him, the cloak didn't stop him from being solid.**

"Well I'm glad you figured that out beforehand," James snickered, "I remember when Peter first got the cloak on his own, he ran straight into a wall."

"He still claims it was an accident and he tripped, but come on," Remus agreed.

**Harry quickly backed into a partially open door, managing to do so without moving it.**

"See," Sirius said brightly, "he's learning already."

**He waited several moments to make sure the pair of them were gone before glancing curiously around the room he'd been hiding in, to find it only housed a mirror.**

"Well that is odd," James agreed, "who stashed a mirror in a classroom?"

None of them had any idea, so Lily read on, expecting Harry to shrug it off and ghost out of there. They'd probably never get an answer, and with any luck Harry would go back to the common room without another incident.

**There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.**

"Could you try saying that in English," Remus said, going a bit cross eyed.

Lily was frowning at the words, saying, "No, that's how it's spelled."

"You think maybe it's a different language?" James asked, leaning around Harry to look.

"None that I recognize," Remus said.

They all passed the book around, taking a look at the odd inscription, but none of them had a clue what it could be, until Sirius said slowly, "Hang on, this first word is backwards."

"What?" Remus asked, leaning over to see what he meant.

"See here," he pointed out, "Erised is Desire spelled backwards, that's the only word though, dang it," he muttered scanning through the rest of it.

"Well maybe," Remus said, taking the book from Sirius, then getting up and going into the kitchen, when he came back, he had a quill and fresh parchment, and he then scribbled down the sentence in the same manner.

At first, they still couldn't make any sense of the words, but then Remus said slowly, "I think I've got it. The words aren't spaced right, but if you fix it like this, it reads 'I show not your face but your heart's desire' unless you can find another combination that works?"

James took the paper and looked at it, then at the original and then nodded saying, "No, it makes sense."

Lily and Harry had been sitting there, watching them all with fascination. Lily spoke up, "That was brilliant. I can't believe you three worked that out."

"What, did you think we got through school on our good looks alone?" Sirius quipped.

Smiling around at them, Lily decided not to press the issue, and so she took the book back, rereading that line, and still shaking her head in disbelief, she kept reading.

**Curiosity** **winning out, he walked closer, only to freeze up and clap his hand to his mouth to stop himself from screaming.**

"What, why?" They all said, in a panic at once, they really didn't want to deal with yet another deadly situation already.

"Because I wasn't alone," Harry whispered, so quietly to himself none of the others even heard him.

**He was looking into his reflection, which still should have showed an empty room, only to find it full of people.**

"Now what on earth?" James demanded, blinking in shock.

"That's impossible," Sirius said, "nothing has ever been able to see through the cloak."

"That's what you caught on," Remus stated, looking stunned, "how about the crowd of people in the room?"

Lily was looking expectantly from Harry to the book, but Harry was clearly not listening to any of them. He was rubbing his temple furiously, whispering, "It's them, I knew I'd seen them."

Pressing on loudly over the still bickering boys, she knew by now the best way to settle her son was to just complete the memory.

**Harry glanced around himself again to confirm the room was still empty before taking a look back at the object. Perhaps its trick was that it showed people, invisible or not?**

"Possible," James said slowly.

"But wouldn't you have bumped into one of them?" asked Sirius.

**Harry reached behind himself, and if she'd really been there he would have been able to touch a woman standing right behind himself. There was nothing but air there, which meant these people must only exist in the mirror.**

"Don't touch it," Remus said at once, going pale as a sheet, "it could be some trick, and you fall through and get stuck in there."

Now they were all looking very concerned, wanting to egg Harry out of that room, knowing it was pointless, so they instead comforted themselves with leaning in very close to their Harry.

**The woman was very pretty. She had dark red hair and green eyes; eyes just like Harry's.**

Lily stuttered a bit, glancing up at her son with shock etched into her face.

"Oh," James whispered, looking from Harry, to Lily, to the book and back again like one of them was going to scream 'got ya.'

"Well, that was unexpected," Sirius murmured.

"I stand by what I said," Remus gasped, coming out of his shock, "It could still be a trick, personalizing it to a particular wizard."

**She was crying as she gazed down at Harry with his eyes in her face. Smiling, but crying.**

Lily looked like she was about to start crying herself, but her voice remained steady as she kept going.

**The man beside her was taller, with black hair that stood on end, just like Harry's.**

"I don't like this," Sirius moaned, his head dropping into hands as he shook it back and forth, "I really don't like this."

"My poor boy," James whispered, giving Harry a quick hug. This was, by all accounts, the first time Harry was laying eyes on his parents, and it was through a mirror. A possibly dangerous, dark object, that could suck his soul out or something equally as awful.

Both Sirius and Remus and Harry looked like they were going to burst into tears right along with Lily, but Harry was the saving grace as he said, "Remember. I'm here, and I know you guys now. I-I'm sorry you have to hear about this-"

"Don't," Lily interrupted, bucking up her own strength when she saw her son's face, "this is what we wanted. To hear about your life, the good and the bad."

"This just happens to be an awful mix of both," Remus muttered.

**Harry had been edging closer to the mirror this whole time in fascination, his nose nearly touching the glass now.**

All four of them shivered in disgust at this, they still didn't want Harry touching that thing.

**Aloud he whispered for the first time, Mom? Dad?**

Then they all shivered again, as they realized this was probably the first time in his life he had been able to utter those words. Sucking in a deep breath, Lily forced herself to go on.

**They did not respond, but just continued to stand there smiling at him. Around them were other people with physical features Harry recognized in himself, Harry's family that he was seeing for the first time in his life.**

Both James and Lily fought back fresh waves of pain when they realized that this was most likely their parents, others that Harry obviously had never seen.

**Now Harry had his face pressed right up to the mirror, like he was hoping to fall right through and be with this image.**

Lily's breath hitched slightly as she read that, this being her worst fear since this had started, and she didn't give the others a chance to panic as she blasted on.

**Harry stood there for an indeterminable amount of time before a distant noise reminded him where he was. He glanced around with worry that he may be caught and decided it was time to leave, but whispered he'd be back to the mirror before he left.**

"Oh thank Merlin," they all breathed in relief.

"Okay," Remus reassessed, "you're clearly drawn to it, but any person in your situation would be..." he trailed off, still trying to figure out the magical property of this object.

"I show not your face, but your heart's desire," Sirius repeated.

"So that's all it will do," James said slowly, "It will just show you what you want most in the world."

"I still don't want you going back," Lily said quietly, "I'm afraid you'll waste away your life staring at that."

"Can't do anything about it now," Sirius muttered.

Lily decided to agree with him, so pushing back the rest of her rising emotions, she kept reading.

**The next morning Harry was telling Ron about what he'd found, and Ron was expressing his desire to see Harry's parents.**

"I don't think it will work like that," Remus said at once, shaking his head.

"Well, we didn't know that then," Harry said, shrugging, trying to remember what Ron did see, and as always, coming up blank.

**Harry agreed he'd like to see Ron's family to, and Ron waved him off saying he could see them whenever he came around. Then he wondered if the mirror only showed dead people.**

Sirius made an awful noise, somewhere between a snort of mirth and a scathing rebuke.

James interpreted that noise pretty well, and said for the others, "That was the most tactless thing he could have possibly said, and yet Sirius may have said the same thing."

"It did pop into my mind," he admitted.

**Then Ron voiced that it was a shame Harry hadn't found anything out about Flamel. Harry hardly noticed, thinking so what if Snape got the Stone. Who cared about Flamel, he was going to see his family again that night.**

All four adults exchanged uneasy looks, Remus saying, "may have spoken to soon. What if this thing has a compulsion about it, and you'll eventually just waste your life away in front of it."

"I know I don't do that." Harry said at once, he felt he wouldn't have the same feelings about that mirror if he had. Right now, he mostly just felt a sense of loss, he'd have like to keep that mirror back in his life, so that he could see his parents whenever he wanted, but he was also thinking there was something else. Something important about this mirror, but it didn't involve him, or Ron.

Nodding and feeling reassured, Lily kept going.

**Harry's biggest fear is that he may not be able to find the mirror room again.**

"That reminds me," James said, "what on earth is that mirror doing there?"

"Could a teacher have left it there, and they're going to use it in there next class?" Remus offered, "Quirrell for example, could be teaching his seventh years about dangerous objects."

"Well, since we've still no idea," Sirius rolled his eyes, "how about we just see if Harry can find it again first."

**That night he and Ron spent hours wandering around the castle on the hunt for it, and just as Ron wanted to give up, Harry spotted the suit of armor and led Ron inside the room.**

None of them could really decide how they felt about this. They were happy beyond belief that Harry really did know what his parents looked like, before now anyways, but they still feared what this mirror's true power was. Nothing for it now though.

**The reflection still proudly showed all of Harry's family, beaming at the sight of him.**

"Well at least it's accurate," James beamed down at his son as well, trying to play that off as a joke.

**Ron however couldn't see anything, so Harry moved out of the way, effectively erasing the image he saw, and putting Ron in the center.**

"That sort of makes sense," Remus agreed, nodding along, "it will only show the person standing directly in front of it."

"Now, let's see what Ron sees," Sirius said a bit eagerly.

**Ron however didn't see his family, but himself standing alone wearing a head boy badge.**

"That's his heart's desire," James snorted, "he's hardly shown any ambition, the opposite in fact if his attitude towards his Perfect brother is to go by."

"Let me keep going," Lily scolded, she had a bit of an idea where this was going.

**He also had a Quidditch Captain badge, and was holding both the Quidditch cup and the House cup.**

All eyes cleared from confusion now.

"Oh," Sirius said sadly.

"Yeah, I can see why Ron would want to be the best of all his siblings," Remus agreed with a small frown.

James let out a low, throaty whistle, saying, "damn though, I was Head Boy and Quidditch Captain, and the responsibility of all that nearly made me go bald."

"It made you easier to be around though," Lily chuckled.

"Moving on," Sirius said quickly, not wanting the couple to start making googly eyes at each other.

**Ron eagerly asked if the mirror was showing the future,**

"We can only hope," James said sadly.

**and Harry pointed out that as his family was dead, it wasn't likely. Then he told Ron to move, because he wanted to see his parents again. Ron wanted to stay put though, and they began arguing loudly.**

"Comparing the two, yeah I've got to give you your do Harry," Sirius chuckled.

"Leave Ron be," Remus defended, "I'm sure anyone would want to stand around and look at that thing forever if they had the chance."

None of them mentioned what they were thinking now, what would they see?

**Then they heard a noise outside the room, and quickly ducked back under the cloak just as Mrs. Norris came into the room. Both Harry and Ron wondered at the same time, did the cloak work on cats?**

"Yep," all three said at once, while James elaborated, "but they can still smell you, and hear you. You've got to be very careful around her, cause if you don't fool her, she'll still run off for Filch."

"Or just bark at her," Sirius snickered.

**It seemed to, as she turned and left.**

"Good," all four of them said, they really didn't want Harry getting caught again, even Lily couldn't deny her son this reason for being out of bed.

**Ron convinced Harry to go back to bed then, and he did so reluctantly. The next day Harry lay around, clearly not interested in doing anything, and Ron guesses correctly what's on his mind and tells him not to go back to that mirror.**

"Well that's surprising," Lily said, "I'm surprised Ron isn't demanding he can go with you."

"Yes well, Ron can simply conjure up that image in his head whenever he wants," James pointed out, "whereas Harry wants to be able to memorize his a bit more."

**Harry grumbles that Ron was starting to sound like Hermione.**

"Because he's being cautious," Remus rolled his eyes.

**Ron insisted he was serious, Harry shouldn't go.**

Sirius opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but Remus quickly picked up a pillow and smothered him before he had the chance.

**Harry ignored his advice though, and that night he put his cloak back on and went in search of the mirror again, this time not running into anyone along the way.**

"Lucky," Sirius said, finally shoving Remus off of him.

**He finds the mirror easily enough and throws his cloak away, eagerly running forward to look into it for hours, when a voice behind him pointedly asks that Harry's back again.**

"Who on earth?" James yelped in shock.

"I've no idea," Sirius and Remus both said.

"It couldn't be a teacher," Lily muttered, "he said 'again' so, whoever, knows he's been there before..."

Harry cleared his throat a bit, and then pointed at the book, smiling slightly. All four jumped guiltily, then James eyed Harry a bit. He had a look on his face, like he might actually remember what was coming this time.

He didn't, but he had a good feeling about this meeting, which is why he was so unconcerned.

**Harry turned on the spot to find Dumbledore.**

"Dumbledore," they all said in shock.

"I didn't even know he left his office," Sirius said in surprise.

"Don't be daft," James rolled his eyes, "he's got to use the loo at some point."

"Really you two," Remus shook his head in disbelief at them, while Lily ignored them completely.

**Harry felt nervous as he blurted out he hadn't seen him, but Dumbledore didn't seem mad though, but was instead smiling as he told Harry how narrow sighted people could be while invisible.**

"Well you don't seem to be getting in trouble," Sirius said brightly.

"Remember that time he caught us rigging up one of the statues, and he actually believed Peter when he said we were just admiring it," James laughed.

"I thought he had lost his marbles," Remus agreed.

"So you lot are saying Dumbledore, the headmaster of this school, let's his students get away with breaking the rules?" Lily demanded.

"Yeah, seems like it," all four boys said.

**Then he points how Harry found the Mirror of Erised.**

James snorted, saying, "well that's a clever name."

**Harry admits he didn't know it was called that, and Dumbledore prompts that he does know what it does, yes. Harry starts to say that it showed him his family, and Dumbledore interrupts to point out that it shows Ron as head boy. Harry starts to ask how he knew that,**

"How long has Dumbledore been coming there?" Remus demanded.

"And how did Harry never spot him?" James demanded.

"Search me," Lily said, shrugging.

**and Dumbledore tells him he doesn't need a cloak to become invisible.**

"Well that's true," Sirius agreed, "there are plenty of ways to pull it off."

"But mine is still the best," James jumped in at once.

**Then he goes into detail of explaining that the mirror only shows what you truly want to see. Harry never knew his family, and so he saw them, while Ron wanted recognition without being overshadowed by his brothers.**

"Well that was kind of depressing," Sirius said, frowning a bit.

"Dumbledore has this way of saying things that sound really smart, but tend to be barmy," James agreed.

**Then he tells Harry that the mirror will be moved, and that Harry shouldn't go looking for it again, but if he ran across it now, he'd at least know how it worked.**

"How many mirrors do they have hanging around that school?" Remus asked, that had felt a little ominous to him.

"I think he was just in teacher mode then," Lily suggested, "preparing Harry for the future and all that."

Harry was feeling very frustrated all of a sudden, for some reason knowing quite well that he would come across that mirror again. Why though, he still had no clue.

**Then he tells Harry to go off to bed. Harry asks if he can ask one more question, and Dumbledore points out he just did, before granting him one more.**

"I hate it when people do that," James grumbled, "it's like they're mocking you for using your manners."

"That's why I just blurt out whatever I want," Sirius said happily.

**Harry asks what Dumbledore sees in the mirror, and Dumbledore tells him socks.**

"Err," Remus said, looking at Lily oddly, "want to run that by me again?"

When she did, all five of them exchanged looks and said as one, "Liar."

Harry felt frustrated, shaking his head from side to side. Would this feeling ever go away? Why did he know that answer, but couldn't actually seem to answer it himself?

The other four adults just felt a little frustrated, Lily even saying, "Well that hardly seemed fair. He knew Harry's."

"It is a personal question," Remus disagreed, "I can hardly blame him."

"Of course we would tell you Harry," James told him, "If any of us actually knew of course."

Lily shrugged, slightly agreeing with Remus, and completely behind James on that.

**Harry just stares, and Dumbledore says that another Christmas had come and gone and he didn't receive a pair.**

"Well you can expect five lovely pairs this year," Sirius said brightly.

Harry chuckled at his antics, then pondered for a moment why on earth there was an importance to socks in his life? Not relating to Dumbledore, but someone else... it was gone as soon as the idea had come.

**It was only as he crawled into bed later did Harry reflect that Dumbledore may have been lying, but then again, it was a personal question.**

"At least you acknowledge it," Lily approved.

"My turn," James said brightly.

Remus rolled his eyes but held his tongue.


	14. NICOLAS FLAMEL

Despite the emotional baggage of that chapter, James was very pleased indeed that Harry seemed to have gotten the idea of that dog out of his son's mind. He was all for focusing on Harry finding Nicolas Flamel however, or even moving past that and going along his school looking for something more fun to do, and so read on eagerly.

**Harry was having nightmares now, dreaming of his parents disappearing in a flash of green light while an unseen voice laughed.**

"Not appreciated, not one little bit," Sirius said, shuddering in disgust, and not mentioning that he had a very similar nightmare the previous night.

"Sorry," Harry said honestly.

"It's not your fault," James said, a shade paler than normal, "it's not like you can help what you dream."

**When Hermione came back from break, she was just as disapproving of Harry's nighttime wanderings, fearing if Filch had caught him,**

"Ah, he'd have only threatened to string you up by your thumbs or something," Sirius shrugged it off, since they hadn't actually been caught, it seemed rather funny to him.

**and disappointment that he hadn't at least found out who Nicolas Flamel was.**

"Did she expect you to, honestly?" Remus chuckled.

**The three were about to give up hope on ever finding this out. When school started again they'd be back to searching at odd moments through infinite books.**

"So we were right the first time," Remus said sadly, "Harry might not figure this out for years."

"Oh come on," James said bracingly, "I'm sure he'll find a Dumbledore Chocolate Frog Card again."

"We don't know how rare they are in this time," Sirius reminded him.

"And he most likely won't reread it if he does," Remus agreed.

"Well then he should start trying to memorize them in his free time," James laughed.

**Harry was back to near constant Quidditch practice, since if they won their next game against Hufflepuff, they would overtake Slytherin in the house championship.**

"Always a good motive," James and Sirius agreed.

**Apart from wanting to win, Harry found he had less nightmares after an intense training.**

"Also true," The two players agreed.

**Harry's enthusiasm for his next game went down some though. At the next practice Fred and George were miming falling off their brooms and goofing around as usual, when Wood yelled at them to knock it off, they couldn't be doing that kind of stuff at the game, because Snape was refereeing this time.**

"What!" The uproar was so loud, the neighbours may have heard that.

"James, tell me you're joking," Sirius said, looking faint.

James just sat there, frozen as he stared at the page.

"But he can't," Lily said weakly, "Madam Hooch always referee's."

"He would have had to get Dumbledore to say yes," Remus agreed, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "Which means that Dumbledore didn't have a problem with this."

"I have a problem with this," James yelped in disgust, "couldn't McGonagall have protested on bias."

They all shared devastated looks, but then glanced at Harry, only slightly reassured that he was still sitting here, looking as upset as the rest of them, but still here. Safe and sound.

**George Weasley really did fall off his broom at these words.**

"Can't blame him," Remus muttered in disgust.

**The whole team began complaining loudly, but Wood pointed out he couldn't do anything about it, they just had to make sure they didn't give Snape a chance to pick on them during the game.**

"When does he need an excuse to do anything he bloody wanted," Sirius hissed.

**After practice Harry sprinted back up to the common room to find Ron and Hermione playing chess, the one thing Hermione wasn't particularly good at.**

"Humility is beneficial in the long run," Lily agreed, distracted. She knew for a fact she wasn't going to be able to settle down again until this particular game was over.

**Ron noticed the look on Harry's face at once though, and told him he looked terrible.**

"And a good day to you to," James forced a laugh.

**Harry quickly caught them up on Snape's sudden sinister desire to be a Quidditch referee.**

"Now that's a sentence I never bloody thought I'd hear in my life," Remus said, looking a bit queasy.

**Ron and Hermione both told Harry he shouldn't play, Hermione suggesting Harry could pretend to break his leg, and Ron adding on Harry should really break his leg.**

All three boys forced chuckles at this, while James pointed out, "good offers, but Madam Pomfrey could fix that in a second."

"You could have a potion's accident," Remus offered, "those get a bit trickier."

"And accidentally poison himself." Lily snapped.

"Got any better ideas," Sirius snapped back.

"Read and find out," Harry said loudly when it looked like they were about to start really arguing.

James threw Harry a grateful look, then read on.

**Harry pointed out if he backed out of this game, then Gryffindor didn't have a reserve Seeker, so the team would lose.**

"Which is a bad idea honestly," the former Quidditch Captain shook his head, "you should always have a backup team."

"Well you can write him a letter later," Lily muttered.

**Before the conversation could continue, Neville hopped into the common room. He had to hop, because his legs were bound together with the Leg-Locker Curse.**

"Damn," Sirius let out a low whistle, "I'm impressed he made it all the way to the seventh floor. Where was he when that happened? Just think of going up one stair case like that!"

"He doesn't know the counter curse?" Remus asked in surprise, "it's a pretty basic curse."

James shrugged, deciding to read on.

**He must have somehow hopped all the way up here, and the thought promptly sent every student into a laughing fit, except Hermione who jumped to her feet and performed the countercurse.**

"Well that was rude," Lily huffed.

"I can imagine it being a bit funny," James said fairly, "but I'm glad Hermione fixed it," he said at once at his wife's sharp glare.

**She escorted Neville over to their table and kindly asked what happened, and Neville told them it was Malfoy.**

"Not that prat again," Sirius groaned.

"What possible reason could he have for cursing Neville? As far as we know Neville's done nothing wrong to anyone," Remus said.

"Seems to me that boy doesn't need a reason to curse anyone," James muttered.

**He'd seen him outside the library.**

"Ouch," Sirius groaned in real pain, "had to hop up a whole floor. I can't believe he didn't just go to McGonagall, then he would have only had to go down some stairs, which would be far easier."

"Shame perhaps," James said, "no student wants to go whining to the teacher's if they can help it."

Lily shook her head in disbelief, she thought that was ridiculous, but could hardly say anything since she didn't exactly go to the teachers with all of her problems either.

**Hermione urged Neville to go report this to the teachers, but Neville refused, saying he didn't want any more trouble. Ron insisted Neville shouldn't let Malfoy just walk all over Neville,**

"I think that was supposed to be helpful," Sirius said, mouth twitching, "but it didn't come off very well."

"At least he's trying," Lily said in approval.

**but it only seemed to make Neville feel worse as Malfoy had already told him he wasn't brave enough to be a Gryffindor.**

"Why that little," James yelped, now wanting more than anything to punch that git in the face, "he has no bloody idea what he just said."

"Someone needs to tell Neville he's the lucky one," Remus agreed.

**Harry felt around in his pocket and found his last Chocolate Frog card he'd gotten for Christmas and handed it over to Neville.**

"That poor dear," Lily sighed, but then she added on, "that was very sweet of you Harry."

Harry smiled at her, knowing he would have done it again in a heartbeat.

**Harry told Neville he was worth twelve of Malfoy, that Neville was the lucky one while Malfoy could keep his stinking Slytherin status.**

"Much better," Sirius said bracingly, "If that doesn't cheer up Neville then I don't know what will."

**Neville unwrapped the chocolate while thanking Harry, eating the frog but handing the card back to Harry as he went upstairs. Harry glanced down and saw it was Dumbledore again,**

"Yes," all five of them cried with joy.

"So long as you look at the back again, you should at least find his name again," Sirius cheered.

"I think I just remember without having to look, finally," Harry said cheerfully.

**then Harry gasped and did a double take at the card.**

"Yes," they all cheered again. They didn't even want to imagine the frustration if Harry hadn't remembered that.

**He eagerly read out the back of the card's information again, including Dumbledore's famous work on alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel.**

Lily suddenly burst into giggling, gaining strange looks from all of the boys.

"It's just that, I'm thinking James read that from memory more than anything, and of all the things he's bothered to memorize," then she trailed off still laughing.

**It was Hermione's turn to jump eagerly to her feet, sprinting up to the girls dormitories and returning a few minutes later with an enormous book.**

"So Hermione read his name at some point to," Remus said in surprise.

"I don't know, she seems like the kind who remembers everything she reads," James said slowly.

"Maybe it was something else Harry just read, maybe a book on alchemy," Sirius suggested.

**Hermione began eagerly tearing through the pages, saying she had checked this book out weeks ago for some light reading.**

"Still an overachiever," Lily said indulgently.

**Ron mocked the word light due to the bulk of the book, but Hermione shushed him as she flew through the pages until she found what she was looking for. Ron grumpily asked if they could speak again, but Hermione ignored him.**

"Well that's just rude," Sirius laughed.

"You'd think he'd be a bit more excited at having finally found out a lead," James chuckled.

**Hermione read out eagerly that Nicolas Flamel was the maker of the Philosopher's Stone.**

"So she did read his name elsewhere," Lily said in surprise.

"Guess even Hermione can't remember everything," James shrugged.

None of them noticed both Remus and Harry seemed to be thinking really hard about something.

**This meant nothing to either Harry or Ron, so she pushed the book towards them and had them read the passage, while mocking the fact that they never seemed to read,**

"Well none of us knew it either," Lily said, rolling her eyes.

**the book said the Stones properties including giving immortality and turning metal into gold.**

After James got done reading that, he looked up to see everyone in the room looking at him like he'd grown a second head.

"You mean that's a real thing?" Remus spluttered.

"You've heard of it," Sirius demanded.

"As a rumour," he admitted, "like James said earlier, alchemy is one of the most untested studies. There have been rumours for years that someone made a stone that could utilize its magic, but I didn't think it was real."

"You still could have mentioned something," Lily said, staring at him wide eyed.

"Did anyone else catch on that Elixir of Life?" James demanded, "this thing sounds like a piece of eternity in your hand."

"You really think that's what's being hidden in the school?" Lily asked in concern.

This brought the other four boys up short. They had been so excited at figuring out this mystery, they hadn't come around to this yet, but now Remus said slowly, "well then it may not even be hiding from a dark wizard. Anyone would want it."

'Someone like a disgraced Death Eater' Sirius thought bitterly, but chose not to say that. He really didn't want to start another fight.

"Why now though?" James asked slowly, "do you think Flamel may have passed away and he left it to Dumbledore, or-"

"Hello, Elixir of Life," Remus reminded him, "I don't think that's it."

"Well, now we know what it is," Harry said, finally cutting them off, "now let's so what we did with that information."

All four adults turned wide eyed looks at him, Lily demanding, "Why would you have to do anything with this? You followed your curiosity because you stumbled across this, fine. Now you know, and you can let it go."

Harry gave her an exasperated look, but when he looked around and all the boys were nodding in agreement, he decided to keep silent. There was no need in preemptively getting yelled at for what he was sure he had done. If his gut was anything to judge by.

James felt quite excited that at least one of their curiosities about this book had been answered so far, so he read on.

**The book then gave a little information on Flamel, including his place of residence and his age, 665.**

"How current was that book?" Remus asked in curiosity.

Harry shrugged, saying, "I don't know, I didn't ask."

**Hermione then comes to the conclusion this must be what was being hidden in the school.**

"Yes," Lily said slowly, "that makes sense, but are you telling me Dumbledore couldn't have come up with a better idea than a school full of children?"

"What better place than in plain sight," Remus offered.

"Yes, but since we've already established that someone did figure it out, and is after it," James said, "I'm going to agree with Lily on that one."

Sirius couldn't help but agree with them as well, thinking that anyone that had the powers to break into Gringotts and not get caught could certainly make it into the castle as well.

**Harry agrees, saying something like that, it was no wonder Snape wanted it. Anyone would.**

Lily pursed her lips, James had read that with a little too much conviction, and the other boys around him were all nodding in agreement. Unbelievably though, none of them verbally agreed.

**They spent the rest of the night discussing this, but it wasn't until the next day during their DADA class where they were learning about treating werewolf bites,**

Before either of his friends could open their mouths to make a sarcastic comment Remus snapped, "can it you two or I'll shove your heads into a lake."

Harry was biting his lip to keep from laughing, while Lily asked in genuine curiosity, "I remember some of that lesson, but I thought there was no cure for a werewolf bite?"

Remus sighed, looking up at the ceiling in self-hatred before answering, "there's not, but there are some solutions you can use on the infected wound so it won't scar as badly."

Harry cocked his head to the side as he investigated Remus, but thought it rude to ask to see Remus' bite, so he just let James go on.

**that Harry remembered his coming match and close proximity to Snape. Harry tells his friends that he's going to play.**

"So long as you don't fall off your broom again, sure," Lily muttered.

"Did anyone put in an inquiry why your broom acted up anyways?" James asked, realizing no one had mentioned this.

Harry shook his head, saying, "No, Professor McGonagall asked me about it, but when I told her I had it under control, she gave me a suspicious look and walked away."

All four adults exchanged uneasy looks, this didn't sound like the Professor McGonagall they knew. Something was up with their old head of house, she was acting very odd around their Harry.

James shook his head, still concerned, and decided to keep a closer eye on her actions.

**The nearer the match grew, the more nervous Harry felt.**

"I really can't believe my luck," James said with disgust, "I finally got a Quidditch chapter, and it's going to be awful."

Harry was gnawing on his lip for a moment, then he suddenly cracked up laughing.

"Just what was so funny?" James demanded.

"I don't know," he said honestly, "I just feel like there was another record broken in this game. Can't remember what though."

"It wasn't the record for the most bones broken by the youngest Seeker was it?" Lily demanded.

"No," Harry answered right away, shaking his head.

"Well, then let's get to it," Sirius said with high spirits now.

**Could they really be expected to win the coming up game with such a biased referee?**

"Still can't believe Dumbledore allowed that," Remus said in disgust.

**Harry seemed to be having a lot of trouble avoiding Snape lately, he even wondered if he was being paranoid. The man kept popping up in corridors he happened to be in, and from the distrustful way he watched him, Harry couldn't help but wonder if Snape somehow knew they'd found out about the Stone, if perhaps Snape could read minds.**

All four adults grimaced in disgust at this idea. If Snape had learned Legilimency, Harry's life would be a disaster.

At Harry's questioning look at all of them, Sirius said bracingly, "there is a form of magic, very difficult though, that can kind of do that. I doubt Snape can though, so you should be good. It's really difficult to learn."

Harry cracked a smile at that, then asked his Dad to go on.

**The day of the match, Harry walked down to the pitch in the late afternoon,**

"Afternoon," Lily interrupted, clearly distracted with worry and catching on a small detail she asked, "games usually start at eleven in the morning?"

"I don't remember, but something weird happened that morning," Harry said, shrugging. "Dumbledore made an announcement the pitch was going to be closed, so it got pushed back. I never found out why."

The four of them were privately wondering if, perhaps, Dumbledore had heard about the last game, and had been investigating something? Why would he have waited so long since the last game though?

**as Ron and Hermione were saying good luck to him, their expressions made it clear they were wondering if they were ever going to see Harry alive again.**

"His friends are really chipper aren't they," Sirius chuckled, though he couldn't blame them one bit for this feeling.

**Ron and Hermione went up to the stands, and Neville soon joined them, asking why they had brought their wands.**

"You mean the students don't just carry their wands around with them everywhere?" James asked. He always had his on him, even while on the pitch.

Harry shrugged, saying, "No, Ron told me that teachers started discouraging it, so that fights wouldn't break out in the stands."

"Fair enough," Lily agreed.

**Harry wasn't aware that Ron and Hermione had quietly been practicing the Leg-Locker Curse, which they fully intended to use if Snape showed any intentions of starting to hurt Harry.**

"Brilliant," all five of them said in approval.

"Oh I hope they use it on him," Sirius said with glee, then when both parents through him a severe look, he tossed his hands in the air and said, "outside the pitch of course. I don't want them to have the excuse now."

Lily huffed, but James was appeased enough to go on.

**In the locker rooms, Wood was turning his attention to Harry and told him that he wasn't trying to put pressure on him, but it was really important Harry gets the Snitch before Snape can favour Hufflepuff too much.**

"How is that not pressuring him?" Remus demanded.

"It's not like Harry can magically catch the Snitch sooner just because he wants to," James agreed.

**Fred was at the entrance and watching the crowd, and suddenly exclaimed that Dumbledore was in the stands.**

"Really?" All four of them said, beaming at once.

"Nobody would be dumb enough to hurt Harry with him around," Lily said at once, forestalling at least Remus and Sirius from saying the same thing, substituting Snape's name.

Feeling quite chipper now, sure Snape was still going to be an arse during the game but at least Harry was safe, he read on with high spirits.

**Harry felt elated, positive at once that Snape wouldn't try anything with the headmaster present. Perhaps that's why Snape looked so sour as the teams came onto the field,**

"Nah," Sirius said, "he always looks like someone shoved a dung beetle up his nose."

"Maybe because of how often you tried to?" Remus offered, fighting back a grin.

**something Ron noticed as well. He didn't get much time to celebrate the good fortune, as Malfoy made an appearance.**

"Gah," James said in disgust, "they really should keep the houses away from each other, at least during a match."

"How on earth would they go about reinforcing that?" Lily demanded, "and that's still not even fair. It is possible to have friends outside of your own house."

All four boys rolled their eyes at her, but it just didn't seem worth the argument at the time.

**Malfoy apologized for knocking into Ron,**

"I'm so sure," Harry muttered to himself.

**but Ron completely ignored him as Malfoy began a tirade of insults. Ron was too busy watching the game, where George had decided to hit a bludger at Snape.**

"Well now he's just provoking him," Lily frowned.

Sirius gnawed his lip for a moment before grudgingly agreeing, "yeah, okay, I'll give you that one."

**Snape was doing exactly as predicted as the game progressed, including awarding a penalty to Hufflepuff for no reason.**

"Someone should call him on that though," James said, narrowing his eyes, "you do have to actually have a reason for penalizing."

Remus sighed and rubbed his brow, this was going to be a long game.

**Malfoy was still talking behind Ron, going on about how the people on the Gryffindor team are only their out of pity, like the Weasley's because they were poor. Then he made a crack at Neville, saying he should be on the team because he had no brains.**

"Can we please switch back to me in the sky," Harry said, frowning back severely. He really didn't want to sit around and listen to Malfoy insulting his friends, and unable to do anything about it.

"I would if I could Harry," James agreed, gnashing his teeth for a moment before continuing.

**Neville turned on the spot and stammered out he's worth twelve of Malfoy.**

"Aw," Lily smiled, "I'm glad he took your words to heart."

"Because they're true," the other boys agreed.

**Malfoy wasn't impressed, but instead cracked up laughing. Further insulting both him and Ron at once as he said that if Neville had as much brains as Ron had gold, they'd both be dead.**

"I think I'd be much more offended if he didn't keep falling back on the same dumb joke," Sirius grumbled.

**Hermione hadn't been paying attention at all, keeping her focus on the game, and suddenly screamed out Harry's name.**

"What?" the three adults without the book said, trying to cut James off, but he wouldn't hear it and kept going.

**Harry was pelting towards the ground in a dive,**

"That's not accidental," Remus breathed.

**and Malfoy made yet another poor attempt at a joke by saying Harry must have spotted some money he could lend Ron.**

"That one wasn't even funny," Sirius said in disgust, still too keyed up to get back to what Harry was doing to get to mad.

**Ron snapped. He flew out of his seat and tackled Malfoy to the ground.**

"Yes," all four boys cried with high spirits.

"That git had it coming to him," Sirius crowed.

Lily was smiling to herself, not able to find any bad feelings about this. The boy really had been asking for it.

**Neville only hesitated a second before climbing back and helping, as Crabbe and Goyle began to do the same.**

"Loving this kid more and more," Remus said.

**Hermione wasn't paying attention to any of the boys, Ron who was punching Malfoy in the face, or Neville who was a whirl of fists amongst Crabbe and Goyle.**

"Did he really take on both of them?" Harry asked, remembering vividly the size of those two boys.

"And holding his own it seems," James responded easily.

**In the air Harry was still diving and finally came up just in time, Snitch in hand.**

"Amazing," Remus yelped.

"How long did that match actually last?" Sirius demanded, feeling giddy as a child.

"Record short," Harry beamed, feeling pride blazing in him. This, he thought, was a real accomplishment. Nobody could just say he was a famous name now, he had done something to be really proud of.

Lily and James suddenly squashed their son in a hug between them, causing peals of laughter from in between them.

Only after they had all settled down did James finally manage to go on.

**The stands exploded with applause, that had to be a record short capture of the game.**

"I think the official time was three and a half minutes," Harry said brightly.

Remus let out a low, throaty whistle before saying, "I'm pretty sure the record before that was fifteen. Way to go kiddo."

**Hermione was dancing in her seat in pleasure, calling out to wherever Ron was in excitement.**

"Ron and Neville are a little busy dishing out their own justice," James grinned.

**On the ground Harry jumped off his broom only to have a crowd of people swarm him with congratulations. Harry spotted Snape land a bit away and spit bitterly on the ground.**

"I'm sure he did," Sirius snarled, happier than anything that this overgrown brat hadn't been able to pick on this team for too long, but most of all unable to hurt his pup.

**Harry couldn't be happier with himself. He'd now proven he wasn't just a famous name, but had done something he really could be proud of!**

"Now that's an accomplishment I'll never forget," James agreed, forcefully ignoring the sting those words left in himself.

**Ron and Hermione could be spotted jumping around happily, Ron holding a bleeding nose.**

"I hope we get to hear how bad Malfoy got it," Remus said quietly to Sirius, who grinned vindictively.

**Not to long later as Harry was putting his broom away, he was feeling quite pleased with himself about having one upped Snape, speaking of Snape... Harry spotted a hooded figure coming out of the castle.**

"Hooded?" James murmured, that was never a good thing.

**The shadow was heading right for the Forbidden Forest. Harry couldn't help but wonder why Snape would be heading there while everyone else was at dinner.**

"Are you sure you're not just jumping to conclusions?" Lily said fretfully, picking at the hem of her shirt. Even she couldn't deny how suspicious this was.

Harry shook his head slowly, the happy feeling gone at once as it was once again replaced with the pounding pain of forgotten memories.

James sucked in a deep breath, couldn't he have savoured this victory at least until the end of this chapter, but decided to just read on.

**Harry jumped back on his broom and began following.**

"Can't blame you there," Remus agreed, anyone would have followed that odd sight.

**Gliding quietly behind him, he watched Snape enter the forest and come across someone else hiding in there, Quirrell.**

"Odd place for a teachers meeting," Sirius muttered, shifting his weight about in agitation.

**Harry couldn't really make out what they were saying, but he was sure he heard Quirrell stutter that this was an odd place for them to meet.**

"Wait, wait, wait!" Remus yelped, "Quirrell's in on it!"

"So could he have been the one who let the troll in, as a distraction so Snape could get the Stone?" Sirius asked, unable to decide how he felt about this, "I mean he seems like an incapable moron, so-"

"Stop," Lily said forcefully before they could go on speculating, "I want to hear this."

**Snape hissed back that this was as good a place as any, since students weren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone.**

"Well we were right about the Stone," James said lowly.

"How did Snape know you knew?" Sirius demanded.

Remus was shifting his weight around, maybe they were wrong, maybe Snape had learned Legilimency.

James wasn't giving them much time to think about it.

**Then he wanted to know if Quirrell had figured out how to get past Fluffy yet.**

"Why would either of them need to know?" Lily yelped, going pale as a sheet.

"Obvious ain't it," Sirius said, eyes narrowing in disgust, "they're in it together or something."

"Oh, that's just so obvious is it!" Lily yelled, looking ready to breathe fire.

"Okay you two," James snapped, "let me keep going or we'll be arguing for the rest of the year!"

Both of them huffed, and looked away from each other in annoyance.

**Quirrell said he didn't, and Snape said they would talk again soon, when Quirrell had decided where his loyalties were.**

Lily blinked several times, releasing a breath slowly. Oh how she dearly wanted to think Snape was saying Quirrell wasn't being loyal to Dumbledore, or something along that line.

If Sev was implying that Quirrill's loyalties should lay with him, that Sirius was right and these two were really in on trying to steal the Stone... she viciously forced her thoughts to stop right there, and allowed James to keep going.

**Then he put his cloak back over his head and walked away.**

"What do you make of that then?" Remus said, a rather ugly look on his face. Despite his earlier opinion, he was now thoroughly behind Harry and the others in thinking Snape was trying to steal the Stone, and dumping Harry Potter out of the way was a nice little distraction for Dumbledore. He never thought he'd say it, or even think it, but it seemed Dumbledore had been wrong with this person.

"Exactly what you do Remus," Sirius muttered back, "that Harry needs to stay the bloody hell away from that backstabber."

While James looked ready to defend his two friends, the other two looked torn, confused, and hurt. Lily just couldn't make herself believe it, not until Severus was walking out of the castle with the Stone in his hand.

Harry felt just as conflicted on the inside, but it was a battle of gut and mind. His eleven year old memories had him totally convinced that Snape was up to no good, and that they had to put a stop to this. While his gut was telling him he was being an idiot, and to get all the facts straight.

Taking a deep rattling breath, James knew very well he couldn't post on either side. He had promised Lily he wouldn't press judgment, no matter how compelling the evidence. He also knew he would back up his friends till death, because he felt they were right.

With no winning side to an awful argument, James simply kept going on.

**Harry sprinted back to the castle to find his friends, and when he did Ron was eager to tell him how he'd given Malfoy a black eye, and Neville had taken on Crabbe and Goyle all on his own. He was out cold in the Hospital wing,**

Shaking his head in slight amusement, James was more than happy to hear about these Gryffindor victories.

"Neville really is the kind you should draw into this group you've got," Sirius laughed, thinking briefly that if Harry did, they would sort of have their own set of Marauders going.

"Agreed, couldn't be prouder of the boy," Remus chuckled.

Harry was smiling around at them all, feeling a bit more at peace now that his innards weren't at war anymore, and said, "I think we just know Neville as a friend, but I don't think I ever get as close to him as I am with Ron and Hermione."

James was still happy to hear that, so read on eagerly.

**but Harry quickly brushed them off and informed them what he'd overheard. Mentioning how Snape had something about Quirrell's 'hocus-pocus' and how he now thought there were other things guarding the Stone,**

"Agreed," all four adults said, already having come to that conclusion.

**like other enchantments like some anti-Dark Arts Spell that Quirrell put up, that Snape needed to break through.**

Sirius snorted and said, "Now that I don't buy. If anyone needed help getting past Dark Art spells', it would have been Quirrell."

"Then besides Fluffy, who honestly I've no idea how to get past," Remus asked, "what on earth is Snape and Quirrell trying to figure out?"

"Who knows," Lily sighed, "hocus pocus could mean anything, relating to any magic." Then she sat back with her lips pursed, the only thing she could think to add was that Sirius had just delivered a real compliment to Severus, but she didn't think he would appreciate her pointing that out.

**Hermione gasped as she realized that the Stone was only safe so long as Quirrell didn't tell Snape this information. Ron groaned that it would be gone within the week.**

All four adults sighed in discontent, why on earth wasn't this book getting any easier to read?

When James made to pass the book to Sirius, Remus pointed out, "Eh hem. I do believe it's my turn, since Harry skipped me."

Harry blinked, then blushed saying, "Oh crap, I'm sorry. I just had a good feeling about Christmas coming up, and-"

Remus laughed at the way Harry seemed to think he was actually mad, before reaching forward and saying, "I think I might forgive you. Just this once though."

After taking the book and going to the right page, he glanced up to see James whispering into Harry's ear, "and every other time. Don't worry about it."

Harry's smile was all the confidence he needed to keep going.

* * *

Got some extra time today, determined to finish this book soon. Thank you all so much for your continued support.


	15. NORBERT THE NORWEGIAN RIDGEBACK

Remus began his chapter, feeling a mite concerned about what he was fixing to read. So far, ever since Harry's first week at Hogwarts, they really hadn't been able to go one chapter without Harry nearly dying, or all wanting to burst into tears at the emotional reminder that they weren't there for him.

At this point Remus would have gladly taken Harry getting a detention, at least to keep him out of trouble for a while.

**Quirrell though, must have been braver then they would have thought. In the weeks that followed, he did grow paler, but he didn't seem to have cracked yet.**

"Don't suppose any of the other teachers noticed how stressed he was?" Lily asked.

Harry simply shrugged, he had no idea about that.

**Every time they went by the third-floor corridor, they would press their ear against the door to check and make sure Fluffy was still growling behind it.**

"Better than poking your head in I suppose," Sirius muttered.

**Snape was still stalking around the castle in his usual foul temper, which surely meant he didn't have the Stone yet.**

"Not really," James wanted to laugh, but forced himself to say in normal tones, "he's just always like that."

**They were also trying to give Quirrell a little encouragement, like Ron had started telling people off who mocked Quirrell's stutter.**

"Well, props for doing that," Remus said, "but personally I think Quirrell's in on it for a cut. I don't see even Snape bullying a full grown wizard into forcing him to do anything."

All three of the adults agreed with him on that, while Harry was frowning to himself and thinking in annoyance that he regretted doing these things all together.

**Hermione on the other hand had something else on her mind. She had started making a study chart for herself, and was insisting Harry and Ron should do the same.**

"You mean she hasn't memorized every textbook in the castle?" Sirius demanded, faking real surprise.

"She's just nervous," Remus rebuked, "I got pretty testy around exam time to."

**Ron tried to remind her that exams were still ten weeks away,**

"Okay, I wasn't that bad," Remus acknowledged. "Two weeks, tops."

**but Hermione snapped back that this was like a second to Nicolas Flamel.**

"Yes well you aren't six hundred something years old," James rolled his eyes.

**Ron reminded her that they weren't six hundred years old,**

Now all five of them were laughing at this odd habit.

**but Hermione insisted she should have started studying for these ages ago, and can't understand what could have gotten into her.**

"When do you ever stop studying?" Lily demanded, really she was happy Hermione had friends to pull her out of books from time to time.

"Your friends have," James replied to Hermione's rhetorical question, "and it's worth it."

**Sadly the teachers were going along with Hermione, piling so much homework on them that their Easter holiday wasn't nearly as enjoyable as the last one.**

"They never are," all four graduates sighed in annoyance.

"It only gets worse as the years go on," Sirius groaned.

"Honestly, they gave you that two weeks off just so you have the time to do it," James agreed.

**They spent so much extra time in the library studying that they were quickly losing their patience.**

"And that's why it sucks spending any extra time in the library," Sirius agreed.

**Ron shouted out in frustration how he wasn't going to remember any of this as he glanced longingly out of the window and the perfectly clear, sunny sky.**

"Perfect Quidditch conditions," James and Sirius groaned.

**Harry looked around miserably as well, when his eyes caught on Hagrid.**

"Now that is a surprise," Lily agreed, Hagrid wasn't known for coming into the castle outside of meals, let alone up there.

**Hagrid looked rather out of place with his usual bulk, and clearly hiding something behind his back.**

"Subtle as ever I see," Remus chuckled.

**He greeted them casually enough, then his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he demanded to know if they were still looking for Nicolas Flamel.**

"Nah, they found out about him, through the use of chocolate!" James cried with glee.

"I want to use that as a slogan, and buy the company," Sirius laughed.

**Harry admits that they already did find out about him, and the Philosopher's Stone, but Hagrid quickly shushes him, saying they shouldn't be shouting about that.**

"He's got a point," Remus agreed, fighting the impulse to laugh.

**Harry presses on and tries to ask Hagrid about what else could be guarding the stone, but Hagrid shushes him again, telling Harry he shouldn't be looking into that kind of stuff here, and invites them over to his place later to talk.**

"Well thank you Hagrid, for literally inviting them over to ask you questions you'll most likely answer before they ask them," Lily said, rolling her eyes fondly at the giant.

**Harry agrees with chipper, and Hermione wonders aloud what Hagrid could have been hiding behind his back, perhaps it was something to do with the Stone?**

"I doubt that," Remus said, "Hagrid really wouldn't even have that much to do with it."

"Then what was he doing?" Sirius asked.

Remus glanced down, and realizing they were fixing to find out, just kept reading.

**Ron gets up to go find what section Hagrid had been in, and comes back with a stack of books on dragons.**

"Oh, well that makes sense," James said, "in his free time he'd look up stuff about his favourite magical creature."

"He was still acting pretty shifty about it," Lily disagreed.

"What?" Sirius asked, raising a disbelieving brow at her, "You think he's got a dragon stashed away in his wooden house?"

Harry startled a bit, his mind bursting to show him something in response to that, but he really couldn't see that happening, so he forced himself to let it go.

Lily had to admit this was ridiculous, but none of them could think of another reason.

**Harry tells them how Hagrid had always wanted a dragon, and Ron tells them that it was against wizarding laws, had been since a convention in 1709.**

"Now look what studying has done for you," Remus said with glee.

**Pointing out how difficult it would be to keep the Muggles from noticing them if they kept dragons on a leash. Harry demanded that there can't be any dragons in Britain,**

"Course there are," Sirius said, shivering, "and they're as bloody awful as you imagine."

"Are you saying you've run into a wild dragon?" Lily demanded.

Sirius got a very shifty look about him, but when the silence dragged on, Remus decided to spare his friend and keep reading. He knew either Harry or Lily were going to demand the full story to that later.

**Ron says that of course there are, naming the surrounding breeds of a Common Welsh Green and Hebridean Blacks.**

Sirius shuddered for real this time, and Lily dearly wanted to know which dragon had made him do it.

**Hermione voices what Hagrid could be up to with this, which they wonder until they go down to his hut that night where Hagrid was acting very shifty. He had all of the curtains closed on his house, and called out for who it was before shooing them inside and closing the door quickly behind them.**

"If he acts any more suspicious I'm actually going to start getting worried," James said, looking a little green.

**Hagrid reminds them that they had wanted to ask some questions, and Harry says yes, they wanted to know what was guarding the stone apart from Fluffy.**

"Blunt as a dull axe," Sirius laughed, coming back to the present.

**Hagrid tells them that he doesn't know,**

"Thought so," Remus said with a sigh.

**and he still can't figure out how they figured out about Fluffy in the first place.**

"Hum," James said, rubbing his jaw, "tell a school full of children not to go into a certain room, and then be bloody surprised when students know what's in that room that can be unlocked with a simple first year charm. Yep, that's a real mystery."

Even Lily had to agree with that logic, or lack thereof in this case.

**Hermione points out that Hagrid would still know, since he knows about everything in the school,**

"Flattery is a sin even Merlin forgives," Sirius laughed, knowing this tactic all too well.

**and continues whittling in a kind voice that she just wanted to know who Dumbledore trusted to guard the Stone, apart from Hagrid of course.**

"Laying it on a bit thick?" James laughed.

"Oh, but I bet it will work," Remus said.

**Hagrid caves and admits that all he knows is that all of the teachers at the school did a particular something, including Snape and Quirrell.**

"So all the teachers there did something," Lily mused.

"I'm surprised they let Quirrell," James said, "considering he had only started that year."

"Most likely they all did something relating to their subjects," Sirius said slowly.

"So what, if you have a well-rounded education, it might not even be too difficult to get down there," Remus concluded.

"Now hang on," James disagreed, "I would fear for my life if I wound up on the bad end of half those teachers wands. Plus, Dumbledore himself did something to keep that Stone guarded. It can't be as easy as all that."

"But Snape has been there how long?" Sirius argued, "the other teachers would have trusted him enough that if he asked, they may have just told him what they did."

"Oh not this again," Lily moaned.

"Got a better argument?" Sirius snapped.

"Yes," Lily snapped right back, "I wouldn't be surprised if all of the teachers knew what all of the enchantments are. So the only problem they seem to have is Fluffy. That's a mutual problem between both," her breath hitched for a moment before she continued "suspects. I say Severus is checking Quirrell to make sure he doesn't know how to get past Fluffy on Dumbledore's orders. Maybe Quirrell did something suspicious that he doesn't like or..." she trailed off, running out of steam at all the circumstantial facts that kept floating around.

Really, neither one had a fair point, since both teachers had been in both places every instance.

Remus cleared his throat after a nasty silence seemed likely to continue, and said, "How about I just keep going? I'm sure we'll figure this out soon."

Harry was privately thinking 'sooner than you might think.'

**Harry repeats Snape's name in shock, Hagrid reminds that Snape wouldn't try and steal the Stone, since he was one trying to protect it.**

"Or it just gave him a better chance to go after it," Sirius huffed.

**Harry exchanged an anxious glance with Ron and Hermione, clearly still not believing this, and asked whether anyone knew how to get past Fluffy. Hagrid replies in the negative, saying not a soul knew except for himself and Dumbledore.**

"There's a way to get past Fluffy without being torn in three?" Remus demanded.

"Kind of hoping not," James said, "that way that thing will stay down there forever, and this whole problem can just go away."

"I'm starting to feel a little bad for Fluffy though," Lily said sadly, having just thought, "the poor things locked up in a room that barely fits him. How is he going to the bathroom, or just to stretch his legs, and who's feeding him enough-"

"Lily," James said in exasperation, "I have full confidence Dumbledore and Hagrid are making sure that thing is being taken care of somehow."

**Harry then asks if they could perhaps open a window, it was really hot in there, but Hagrid denies with an uneasy look at the fireplace. Ron catches sight of where he looked, and asked what was in there.**

"You're joking," Sirius groaned, he can't have. He really can't have...

**It was obvious what it was though, a black egg sitting in the middle of the fire.**

"You're joking," the other three said in disbelief.

"No, I'm not," Remus said, looking at the book like it had just bitten his hand off.

"Who, how, why-" Lily spluttered.

"I'm done," James said, flopping back against the couch in exasperation. "I really am just done with this. Harry's first year, and he's come into contact with a bloody three headed dog, a troll, and now Hagrid's keeping a dragon egg around! That's not even the worst-" His voice trailed off as he still continued grumbling.

All five of them were simply stunned into silence for a moment before Remus gathered himself up and began again.

**Ron wanted to know how Hagrid got it, and Hagrid admits that he won it in a game of cards, that the man seemed rather glad to be rid of it for some odd reason...**

"I wonder why," Sirius gasped, looking like he was about to faint at any moment, "couldn't be because it's illegal to walk around with a Dragon egg, and play a game of cards for it!"

"Of all the stupid, irresponsible," Lily grumbled.

James still looked like he had passed out against the back of the couch.

**Hermione wanted to know what Hagrid intended to do with it once it hatched, and Hagrid wanted to raise it of course. He'd gotten a book from the library all about the subject, and had even found the breed his was, which was a Norwegian Ridgeback, a rare one.**

"Because that makes this all so much better," Remus groaned.

**He looked rather pleased with himself, but the others didn't. Hermione chose to remind him that Hagrid lived in a wooden house.**

"That's the least of my concerns," Lily yelped, "how fast do dragons grow? How long before we've got a fully grown dragon stampeding on the grounds?"

Sirius jumped like someone had just branded his side, and Remus didn't have the heart to tell them that dragon's grew at a considerable rate. It would be born poisonous, be able to breath fire after the first month, and then grow approximately a foot a week, reaching full growth in less than three years. Though dangerous enough to a normal person at about six months. With any luck the egg would hatch, Hagrid would recognize he'd made a horrible mistake, and someone would get rid of that thing before the week was up.

**Hagrid clearly wasn't listening to their concerns though as he began stoking the fire while humming.**

That shocked James out of his stupor, he jolted into an upright position and cried, "oh yes, humming to the egg will make it feel better."

All five of them felt like a twitching mess. A dragon! How could it be possible that Harry would have to deal with a dragon on top of everything else this year!

**So now on top of everything else they had to deal with, the three of them were now stressing out what would happen if someone found out that their friend was keeping an illegal dragon egg.**

"Fired for sure," Sirius said slowly. Despite his disgust at the beasts, he really didn't want Hagrid to get fired, he liked him too much for that.

"A hearing in front of the Department for Control of Dangerous Creatures," Lily added on.

"Maybe a pretty large fine could be the worst," James said without any real hope.

**Ron bemoaned what it would be like to have a peaceful life.**

"I might think that was funny if he wasn't serious," Harry said.

"No I'm Sirius," Sirius blurted out before anyone could stop him this time.

Remus smacked Sirius in the shine with the book for that, while both of Harry's parents turned to him with pleading eyes and James said, "Harry, I'm begging you, think before you speak."

Harry couldn't take them, well serious, right then. He was too busy laughing.

**Less than a week later, they received a note at breakfast from Hagrid that simply said 'it's hatching.'**

"Don't," Sirius said at once, he had been rubbing his knee and giving Remus the stank eye until he heard that, "don't go Harry. Please."

Harry gave him an odd look, but no one had the heart to point out to him this time how pointless that please was.

**Ron wanted to skip class and go straight down there, but Hermione refused. Harry pointed out that how many times would they get the chance to see a dragon hatching?**

"Now that I will give them," James nodded, "it might be cool for the first five minutes."

"Until the bloody thing starts breathing fire at you," Sirius hissed in disgust.

**Hermione still wouldn't hear it, pointing out that if they skipped classes to go to Hagrid's they'd get in trouble, but Harry quickly told them to shut up.**

"Well that was a bit rude," Lily said to Harry, "she was only trying to warn you."

Harry shook his head, saying, "No, I think there was someone listening to us," he muttered, just as Remus kept reading.

**Harry had spotted Malfoy not to far away, who was clearly listening in on them.**

"Oh," all five of them winced at this. While they all disapproved of what Hagrid was doing, the last person they wanted to find out was Malfoy.

**Harry felt uneasy at once at the look on Malfoy's face, but didn't get much of a chance to think on it as Hermione convinced them to go to class. The second the teacher called for the class to be dismissed, they sprinted down to Hagrid's and got there just in time to see the egg on the table, with funny little clicking noises coming from inside of it.**

Remus couldn't help it either, he was rather curious to hear first-hand what a dragon hatching would be like.

Sirius was edging away from the book with an annoyed look on his face.

**With one more loud scraping noise, the egg came apart and a baby dragon flopped out. Harry didn't think much of it, comparing it to a crumpled black umbrella.**

"Here I thought all babies were cute," James chuckled at the description.

Harry couldn't help a slight frown though the longer this dragged on. From the moment he'd heard about the little dragon egg, he'd had some odd feeling he would meet this dragon, but it was coupled with a terrible adrenaline rush. Why would a baby cause that though? Was it possible he was thinking about another dragon? How many of these things did he run into though? It was a very vague feeling, he decided it must not be related to this one at least, so he pushed it aside for now.

**It had tiny wings already twice the size of its skinny body, with a thin snout and stubby horns with dark orange eyes.**

Sirius shivered in disgust this time, more than happy he wasn't there for this, and wanting to drag Harry away from it as well.

**When it sneezed, sparks sprang from its nostrils.**

"Oh great," Lily groaned, any fascination she had gone in an instant, "how soon can dragon's start breathing fire?"

When they all looked to Remus, he shrugged and said, "Why do you lot assume I know everything about every magical creature?"

"Are you saying you don't know the answer?" James asked in disbelief.

"Two months," he admitted, grinning widely, "I was just curious why you thought I knew that."

"We knew you knew that, because you're a know it all," Sirius grumbled.

**Hagrid was clearly fascinated, stating he thought the baby was a beauty.**

"Nothing about what Harry just described sounded beautiful," James laughed.

**He reached out a finger to pet it, to which the dragon reacted by turning sharp fangs on him.**

"Sweet nature then," Lily muttered, shaking her own hand as if having avoided the bite herself.

**Hagrid only smiled wider, claiming that the dragon which he proclaimed a boy, knew his 'mummy.' Hermione uneasily asked Hagrid how fast Ridgebacks grow, but Hagrid didn't get the chance to answer as he got to his feet and ran to the window.**

"Oh he didn't," Harry said in disgust.

"What?" The others asked him.

Harry just waved Remus on, hoping dearly this time he was wrong.

**Explaining with unease that he had seen someone peeking through the window, a student.**

"Oh bloody hell," James groaned, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"If that's not Malfoy then I'm a fish," Sirius agreed, wishing Ron had done more then give him a black eye now.

**Harry sprinted to the door and saw for himself that there was no mistaking him, it was Malfoy who had seen the dragon.**

"Nosy git," Remus and Lily muttered.

**He was pretty obvious about it to, as the whole of next day he kept throwing superior smirks at the three of them.**

"You mean he didn't tell?" James asked in surprise.

"I don't know why not," Sirius said, "Hagrid could hardly hide the bloody beast. No matter who he went to, probably Snape, would have gone down there to at least investigate."

Remus just shrugged, he had no idea what his motives were, and so read on.

**They tried to convince Hagrid to just let the dragon go for Hagrid's safety, but Hagrid refused on the basis that the dragon was to small, that he'd die.**

"Now that's most likely true," Lily said sadly.

"I think I could live with myself," Sirius muttered.

**Weeks began dragging on, and the baby dragon was keeping Hagrid very busy, so busy he was no longer keeping up with his game keeping duties.**

"This is just getting better as time goes on," Remus huffed.

**And his affection was only growing. Hagrid had decided to name him Norbert, and claimed the baby could even come to him now. Ron said he thought Hagrid had lost his mind.**

"I'm rather inclined to agree with Ron," James said.

**Harry was still trying to convince him to go to Dumbledore, and while Hagrid admits that he knew he couldn't keep Norbert forever, he couldn't just dump him either.**

"I'm sure Dumbledore would come up with a fair solution," Remus said at once, "and it really would be better for Hagrid if he went to him and explained, rather than a student telling."

"I can only hope Harry convinced him to do this," Lily said.

**An idea struck Harry, he turned to Ron and exclaimed 'Charlie!'**

All four adults puzzled at that, before Remus said slowly, "no, I don't see how that would work. If his brother's all the way in Romania, but I suppose he might be able to get away with coming round to Hogwarts. The only real problem would be taking the dragon back with him, hum..." he trailed off.

Lily was shaking her head furiously, saying, "Ron could get his brother into real trouble for that. It's illegal to transport dragons without proper paperwork, which none of them have."

"Really, just go to Dumbledore, you won't get in trouble," James insisted.

Harry simply shrugged, having no answer to this.

"I just want that thing gone, I don't care how," Sirius muttered.

**Ron now thought Harry was losing it to, reminding Harry that his name was Ron.**

All four of them snorted with laughter at this.

"Come on Ron," Remus laughed, "not only did your friend think of your brother before you, but you didn't catch that?"

**Harry reminded Ron that if Charlie worked with dragons in Romania, couldn't they just ship Norbert, and Charlie could take care of it?**

"Oh sure, just send him on a couple of owls, that should work out," Lily rolled her eyes.

**Ron agreed to the plan at once, and then the two finally convinced Hagrid. That Wednesday at midnight,**

"Thought you had Astronomy then?" Lily asked with a frown, hating to think Harry really was skipping classes for this.

"It was raining that night, and Professor Sinistra had a cold," Harry shrugged. "We were lucky and got out that night."

**the portrait hole seemed to open on its own until Ron tore off Harry's invisibility cloak.**

"Are you happy now," Lily asked them all, "Harry and his friends are clearly using the cloak to sneak around the grounds now."

"To see a dragon," Sirius told her like he thought she was being daft, "I will never be happy to hear about that."

"You lot snuck out to go see a werewolf, what's the difference?" she demanded.

James looked at her sharply and said, "never when we didn't think we couldn't handle it."

"Well, we had Hagrid, and we were handling it alright," Harry defended.

**They had been taking turns to go down and help Hagrid with Norbert, and this time Ron had come back with a bite.**

"Never mind," Harry sighed, placing his head in his hands as all the adults felt fear at once.

"Norwegian Ridgebacks are poisonous," Remus said at once, "please tell me he went straight to the hospital wing. Pomfrey never asks too many questions."

"Well, his hand doesn't fall off," Harry said with only a little confidence.

**Hagrid had actually told Ron off for frightening Norbert when it happened,**

"Okay, no more sympathy for the bloody beast," James said at once.

"I never had any," Sirius snarled.

**and when Ron left Hagrid had been singing to it.**

"I'm agreeing with Ron. Hagrid's lost his marbles," Remus said, shaking his head in disbelief.

**They didn't get a chance to chat anymore when Hedwig arrived with a note for Harry, from Charlie. It contained well wishes for Ron, asking how he was,**

"Just fine, you know I've been bitten by a dragon and all," Lily muttered.

**and how he'd be more than happy to take the Norwegian Ridgeback from them, but it wasn't going to be easy.**

"You think," James snorted.

**He asks if it's possible for them to get the dragon to the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday.**

"Really?" Remus said weakly, "that's their plan. Carry a live dragon through the school, up to a tower!"

"Why, why can't Harry have any kind of normalcy in his school life?" James groaned weakly.

**Ron writes back in agreement to this plan, and Harry agrees that it wouldn't be impossible for two of them to fit under his cloak plus Norbert. It would honestly be a relief to get rid of the dragon, and Malfoy.**

"There's the silver lining I was looking for," Sirius said brightly.

**A problem arose the next morning though, when Ron awoke to find his hand had swollen to twice its normal size.**

"And it's gone again," he huffed, slumping back into the cushions.

"Ron's okay though, right?" Lily asked in concern.

"I'm positive," Harry said at once.

**He was afraid to go to Madam Pomfrey with the injury, would she recognize a dragon bite?**

"She definitely would," Remus said slowly, "but he should go anyways."

"Agreed," James said, "she never asks questions about the injuries. Otherwise students might not come to her, try and fix it themselves, and real problems can start happening."

"You three are just so knowledgeable," Lily muttered, rolling her eyes. Then a new thought occurred to her, and she asked, "Wouldn't Pomfrey tell Ron's parents though?"

"Depends on how severe the wound gets," Sirius said thoughtfully, "as far as I'm aware, they don't write home unless it's life or death."

Lily didn't really look encouraged by this, but then she remembered a few accidents she'd had during school and was more than grateful Pomfrey hadn't informed her parents about it, so she couldn't say much.

**But they really had no choice as Ron's hand began to turn green, and they figured out that Norbert was poisonous.**

"Yet another reason to love the bloody thing," Sirius grumbled.

**Harry and Hermione went to visit him after their classes, and he says that he told how a dog had bit him, though he wasn't sure if she believed him.**

"She doesn't," all four of them agreed.

**Then wishes he hadn't hit Malfoy at the last Quidditch game or he probably wouldn't be doing this.**

"No," James shook his head, "I'm positive he'd have done this anyways."

"Not exactly comforting," Harry sighed.

**Harry and Hermione tried to comfort him, reminding him this would all be over Saturday, but this only causes Ron to freak out as he remembers he left the letter Charlie had sent them in a book that Malfoy had taken. He had come up there to lord it in his face that he knew what was going on, and now he knew they were going to get rid of Norbert.**

"Oh bloody hell!" Lily cried in exasperation.

"I, yeah I can't think of a single thing to say to that," Remus muttered.

"Of all the books," James groaned, rubbing his face.

"Please tell me this doesn't stop you though," Sirius turned to Harry, "you've still got the cloak. So long as you're careful, and you time it right, you should still be able to get rid of it."

Harry pondered this for a moment before saying slowly, "err, yeah, I feel like we do still get rid of it," which brought a gleaming smile to Sirius' face, so Harry left out the part where he also felt like perhaps they didn't fully get away with it.

**They decide it's too late now to change the plans though, and as they still have the cloak they decide to go through with it. That night they went down to Hagrid's hut to find Fang outside, tail bandaged.**

"Poor dear," Lily muttered. Fang didn't deserve that.

**They knock on the door but Hagrid sticks his head out the window, telling them that Norbert was in a 'tricky stage', but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.**

"I beg to differ," James huffed.

**They told him about Charlie's letter, and he looked about to cry, though that may be because Norbert chose then to bite him on the leg.**

"I don't think that would do much to him though," Lily murmured.

"There's a fight you don't think about every day," James mused, "Giant vs Dragon."

"Don't." Sirius said at once, "just don't."

Remus didn't even try to hide the laughter echoing his voice as he read on.

**Hagrid quickly says that it just got his boot, that he didn't blame him because he was just as baby. The baby banged its tail against the walls, making the windows rattle.**

"Baby demon," Sirius muttered.

**They knew they would have felt sorry for Hagrid if they weren't so worried about how they were going to do this.**

"Yeah, no offense, I don't feel sorry at all," James said, just happy this particular crisis was being dealt with right away.

**Saturday finally rolled around and Hermione and Harry made their way down to Hagrid's to find Norbert packed away in a crate.**

"At least he thought ahead," Lily smiled, "I had just pictured trying to put a muzzle on it or something."

"Could he really not whip up a sleeping drought for it," James sighed.

"Not without knowing all kinds of things about the dragon, its weight for example. Otherwise they could accidentally kill it," Lily disagreed.

"Let's just be happy with the box for now," Remus cut in.

**Hagrid was clearly tearful as he told them he packed up all of Norbert's favourites, including his teddy bear in case he got lonely.**

"Or gets bored and wants to tear something up," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**From inside the crate came ripping noises that sounded like the teddy was having his head torn off.**

"Well that happened quicker than I thought," he laughed.

**As Harry and Hermione slipped under the invisibility cloak with Norbert, Hagrid gave one last tearful farewell, promising he'd never forget him.**

"Good, then don't ever forget him from far, far away," James said slowly.

"And do us all a favour and don't ever try to replace him," Lily agreed.

**The journey through the castle was hard going, staircase after staircase making the box seem to grow heavier with every floor.**

"She was almost as heavy as Fang by then," Harry sighed.

"She?" James asked.

Harry blinked, frowning to himself, having no idea where that came from, and corrected, "uh, yeah I meant he."

**They almost turned around one corner, but stopped just in time and ducked into the shadows as Professor McGonagall came by, holding Malfoy by the ear.**

"You know what," Sirius said brightly, "I think I'll forgive this whole bloody incident, so long as Ron's hand is okay, just for that one beautiful moment."

"Hear, hear," the other four agreed, looking like they wanted to start dancing with joy as such a kid got the payback he deserved for butting into other's business.

**Malfoy was trying to convince her that Harry was coming up with a dragon,**

"The ironic thing is," Remus laughed, "he's telling the truth."

"He was still trying to do the right thing though," Lily said, instantly feeling bad for her initial glee.

"For the wrong reasons though," James disagreed.

**but Professor McGonagall wouldn't hear it and dragged him off claiming he'd have detention for being out of bed. Once on top of the tower, Harry and Hermione were thrilled at this, Hermione exclaiming she could sing with joy.**

"A well-deserved feeling," James laughed, picturing it in his head.

**Charlie's friends arrived right on time, and the two students eagerly helped load him up with them.**

"I really want to know what Charlie told them," Lily said mildly. "They must be some really good friends to have somehow been convinced to meet a couple of kids on top of a tower and transport an illegal dragon around."

"I don't care in the slightest, since it clearly worked," Sirius snickered.

**Finally Norbert was flying out of sight.**

"Thank you," they all breathed.

"And let you never again have to go near a bloody dragon," Sirius vowed.

Harry couldn't decide right then, tell them all that he felt very sure he would indeed run into a dragon again, or ask Sirius what his problems with dragon's were. The others had already agreed with Sirius though, and Remus was reading on happily.

**In bright spirits they slipped back into the stairwell, positive that nothing could ruin their good mood now, which was immediately ruined when they found Filch at the bottom of the staircase.**

"So?" James asked, it's not like Filch could see them.

Remus was reading with dread in his voice now, he didn't like what the book was implying.

**He whispered that now they were in trouble,**

"I hate the way he talks to that bloody cat," Sirius muttered.

**and could easily see them, because they'd left the cloak at the top of the tower.**

"You did what?" all four adults asked in disbelief.

* * *

My favourite chapter of this book, because awww, baby dragon! Yes, I am Hagrid.


	16. THE FORBIDDEN FOREST

Harry was rubbing his ear, and looking more chagrined then they had yet seen him. "Err, yeah, we may have been really excited and ah, left it up there..." he said, trailing off when it looked like the three boys were going to faint. "So err, Sirius, want to tell me what your problem with dragons are?" he asked, trying to deflect the subject off of him.

Shaking his head like he was trying to get water out of his ears he said, "I'll tell you that if you tell me you got the cloak back."

"Of course I did," he said at once, then frowned, rubbing his temple again in agitation.

Sirius shrugged before saying, "that's good enough for me. Alright fine, remember how I said I went down into the lower vaults at Gringotts with my cousin Bellatrix."

When he paused and eyed both Harry and Lily, they both nodded, Lily saying, "yes, but you said you stayed in the carts."

"I lied," Sirius shrugged, "I felt like an idiot, so I didn't mention it, but the truth is I got left down there for a few hours before the Lestrange's came back for me. That bloody dragon hated me being there as much as I hated it, and-" he shuddered again in disgust as he cut off.

"How old were you?" Harry demanded, feeling sorrier for his sort of Uncle then he ever had for himself.

"Thirteen," he admitted, "my parents were off with my brother getting his Hogwarts stuff, but they wouldn't give me the key to the vault, so they got my other family to go down there with me. I don't know what they were thinking-"

"Probably that you would steal all of the gold in their vault and make a run for it," James offered.

"Very likely," Sirius agreed before going on, "but I meant I don't know what they were thinking leaving me with them. The Lestrange's are known supporters of Voldemort, and they knew I hated them. I always swore they left me down there on purpose, probably paid off that bloody Goblin to." He trailed off into evil mutterings.

James and Remus had heard this story already, Sirius had been a little off at the beginning of their third year and they had eventually wheedled this out of him.

Deciding he wanted to stop the sad eyed looks he was getting from everyone Sirius snapped, "Oh, give the book here Moony. I want to know how much trouble Harry's going to get in." He snatched the book away and began reading.

**This was a bad way to end the night. They were taken to Professor McGonagall's office on the first floor, while Harry continued trying to come up with excuses for what they had been doing up there.**

"Which is why you always have a cover story before going out," James said in what he clearly thought was a wise voice.

**He couldn't see a way out of trouble this time.**

"Neither can I," Lily agreed.

"And if you do, I really will think something's wrong with McGonagall," Remus added.

**They were cornered. How could they have been so stupid as to forget the cloak? There was no reason on earth that Professor McGonagall would accept for their being out of bed and creeping around the school in the dead of night, let alone being up the tallest astronomy tower, which was out-of-bounds except for classes. Add Norbert and the invisibility cloak, and they might as well be packing their bags already.**

"Still not enough to get expelled though," Sirius said quickly when he saw Harry was getting a little pale again.

"I don't know," Lily said, a bit fearfully all of a sudden. "If Filch or McGonagall really do know about the dragon, you know believed Malfoy, they could get into far worse trouble than detention. What they did was actually illegal."

"Lily, you're freaking him out," James snapped, as Harry continued to grow paler.

Lily winced and said sorry, which Harry accepted, though he still looked like he was going to be sick.

Remus finally said, "I really don't think so. Norbert's gone, and all they can prove is Harry was up on the astronomy tower. The cloak is a bit suspicious, but that's all they can prove. McGonagall's always been like that, punishing for what she knows you've done, instead of what she thinks."

"All I'm hoping is that no one brings up Hagrid," Sirius said, "he's the worst liar there is," and then read on quickly.

**Harry was sure things couldn't have been worse, when Professor McGonagall made her appearance with Neville.**

"Now that's surprising," Lily said, "Neville seemed like a good kid. What reason could he have for being out?"

Sirius read on loudly over Lily.

**When Neville spots Harry, he begins trying to warn Harry that Malfoy was going to bust them for having a drag-**

"Aw," all four of them said.

"Are you sure you don't become better friends with Neville?" James demanded, "because he seems to crop up as often as your other two friends."

Harry was smiling back at this memory, but had no answer for his Dad.

**Harry shushed him, but not quickly enough. Professor McGonagall was livid as she glared down at the three of them, demanding to know what they were all doing out of bed at one in the morning.**

"I would tread lightly on what you say next," Sirius said wisely.

**When none of them spoke up, McGonagall filled in the blanks herself, thinking that Harry had spread a story around about a dragon to get Malfoy in trouble, and that Harry probably thought it was funny Neville had fallen for it to.**

"Wow," James said in surprise, "I've never tried that tactic. Sitting about in silence and letting her come up with a story herself."

"I don't think it's making things any better," Remus said sadly, boy was she off the mark on that one.

**Harry tried to give Neville a sorry look, trying to tell him that wasn't true, but Neville just looked confused and hurt.**

"Poor dear," Lily sighed, it didn't seem fair Neville had been dragged into all of this, and now he might even think the worst of Harry.

"I'm kind of offended McGonagall thinks Harry would think its funny Neville would get caught," Sirius huffed.

"Well to be fair," Remus said, "we didn't segregate our house from our pranks either. She's probably thinking along those lines."

**McGonagall was outraged, giving them all detentions at once, claiming she'd never heard of four students out of bed in one night.**

"Really?" all five of them balked.

"I do believe she's lost her mind," Sirius laughed.

"Perhaps she just said that so Harry wouldn't get any ideas about you," Lily offered to her husband.

"But he doesn't know anything about me," James said, ignoring the wince of pain that caused.

Remus was shaking his head, as lost as them, so Sirius decided to keep going.

**She then took fifty points away from Gryffindor house, and when Harry exclaimed his shock,**

"Oh Harry don't," James groaned, "if you try to argue with her she'll double it!"

Sirius read out sadly.

**that many points would make them lose the lead they had won from the last Quidditch game,**

"And here I thought this night was going so well," Remus muttered.

**McGonagall made it fifty points each.**

"Ouch," all five of them winced.

**Harry tried to protest, but McGonagall cut him off again saying they deserved it for how ashamed she was of Gryffindor.**

"Again, I feel almost insulted she seems to have forgotten us," James wanted to laugh, but at Harry's utterly dejected look, he held himself back.

**Harry felt stunned, wondering how on earth they could ever make up for this.**

"Shouldn't be too hard," Remus said bracingly, "between Hermione getting enough questions right, and two more Quidditch games, you'll be back in the running in no time."

"What's the record for the most house points lost in one night?" Sirius asked.

"I think a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher back in the 40's once made Ravenclaw house drop all the way to zero," James said, "the kid went out to the Forbidden Forest, got into some kind of fight with the centaurs out there, and almost started a war."

"See," Sirius laughed, "when you put it like that, what you did was minor," Harry smiled around at them all, honestly feeling much better now than he had then.

**Harry didn't sleep at all that night, and by the muffled crying noises coming from Neville's bed, he wasn't the only one.**

"To a couple of first years though," Lily said sadly, "this would seem like a pretty big deal."

**He was sure they were thinking the same thing as him, what would the rest of their house think when they woke up in the morning to find themselves so many points missing.**

"They'll be pissed," all three pranksters said at once.

"But like we said," James said quickly when it looked like Harry was about to get down again, "they'll get over it."

**In the morning the rest of the house was very confused when they walked past the hourglasses that marked house points. Surely there had been some sort of mistake? But then the story began spreading around, how Harry Potter and a couple of other stupid first years got caught out of bed.**

"That's all that got around?" Sirius asked, "I'd think at least some of them would have been impressed by what you'd actually done. Sneaking into the astronomy tower could have some major fodder for rumours."

Harry shrugged, saying, "we didn't exactly help spread the rumours around. I've no idea what everyone thought we'd lost those points for."

**Harry quickly went from being one of the most well liked students for all his Quidditch wins, to the most hated.**

"That will tend to go back and forth a lot at school," Remus said.

"The more popular you are, the more it switches," Sirius agreed.

**While Harry ducked through corridors, he also had to ignore the attention from the rest of the school as well, like the Slytherins applauding as he walked past, thanking him for losing all those points.**

"This school's as over dramatic as ever," Lily sighed.

**Only Ron stood by Harry, reminding him that Fred and George lose points all the time for their jokes, and people still liked them.**

"Exactly," all three boys said at once.

**Harry asked if they'd ever lost a hundred and fifty in a night?**

"Maybe not all at once," Sirius said shrugging.

"But as a whole by the end of the year, most likely," James said.

**Ron admitted no. Harry felt so down on himself now that he promised he'd no longer meddle around the school,**

"Oh yeah?" Remus raised a disbelieving brow.

"I'll bet that lasts, oh about a week," Sirius agreed.

**it just wasn't worth it anymore. He felt so awful that he even went to Wood and offered to resign from the team.**

"Now that is being over dramatic," James yelped in shock.

"What good would that do you?" Sirius demanded, "Then you would just be sitting around, even more miserable."

Harry frowned, thinking back to how bad he'd felt, just trying to make amends somehow.

**Wood refused the offer, pointing out they'd never make up for Harry's lose if they couldn't play!**

"Glad Wood didn't accept," Remus agreed.

**Sadly though, Harry wasn't enjoying Quidditch practice anymore either. The rest of the team was so annoyed with Harry, they now only referred to him as 'the Seeker.'**

"This is getting ridiculous," Lily huffed, hating the way these kids were making her son feel.

"Just kids being kids," James said, not really liking this either, but he had enough familiarity with this type of thing that all three of them could brush it off.

"Even Fred and George?" Remus demanded, thinking that was just a bit hypocritical of them, since he was sure that they were right in saying they must have lost their own fair share of points for their house.

"I sometimes got the feeling they were doing it more jokingly then anything," Harry shrugged, "but yeah."

**Hermione had lost her enthusiasm in class as well, she'd stopped raising her hand for every question and instead kept her head down and silently took notes.**

"That's ridiculous," Remus said in disbelief, "I thought she'd want to earn those points back."

"She was just trying to keep out of sight," Harry defended.

"Yes, but it would have been better if she'd tried to earn points back for the house, and received a few annoyed looks along the way," Sirius argued back.

**School was no longer to enjoyable, which helped Harry's silent promise not to meddle anymore, but that was put to the test one day.**

"Well this can't be good," Lily sighed, bracing herself for the worst.

**From a classroom ahead, he heard Quirrell's voice whimpering clear please for someone to not do something.**

"What on earth?" James asked quietly.

**It sounded as though he was being threatened. Harry moved curiously closer to the door.**

"When you hear someone threatening a full grown wizard you don't move closer," Remus said, going as pale as the others in sudden fear.

**Before Harry could peek inside though, Quirrell sobbed out that he'd do it before blasting out of the door and almost running out of sight, he didn't even seem to see Harry there.**

"That's great," James muttered, "now get the bloody hell out of there before whoever was threatening him comes out to see you."

**Harry waited until the footsteps had faded before really looking into the classroom,**

"Aw hell," they all whimpered, fearing the worst.

**only to find it empty.**

"Are you sure?" Lily demanded.

**There was another door at the other end, and Harry was fixing to go to it when he reminded himself of his self-imposed promise not to meddle anymore.**

"Yes," they all said, James adding on, "please, listen to that for just this one time."

**Harry stood there, torn. He was positive it was Snape who had just left the room, and from what Harry had heard, it seemed like Snape had finally convinced Quirrell to give in.**

"Great, let them duke it out, and go away," Remus said at once.

**Harry sprinted to the library to find Ron and Hermione and quickly told them what he'd heard. Hermione reminded that just because Snape had figured out Quirrell's thing, doesn't mean he knew how to get past Fluffy. Ron said they didn't know Snape didn't, and turned to Harry, asking what they should do.**

"Why do you think you have to do anything?" Lily demanded of nothing.

**Hermione answered first, saying they should go to Dumbledore.**

"Yes," all four of them said at once.

Harry pursed his lips, declining to mention he doubted they did this.

**Harry disagreed, stating all the reasons they had no proof, and that they shouldn't even know about the Stone or Fluffy in the first place.**

"Dumbledore will still hear you out," Remus said, "and I know he'll try to calm you down enough you won't feel like you have to do anything."

**Ron wasn't convinced, saying if they just did a little more poking around, but Harry cut him off saying he was done with that type of thing.**

"Thank you," they all breathed, this punishment was the best thing that could have happened to Harry as far as they were concerned.

**That evening when they went to dinner McGonagall reminded them of the detention that went along with the punishment, which would be at eleven o'clock that night, and to meet Filch in the entrance hall.**

"Ugh, he's not going to have to clean the trophy room or something is he," Sirius groaned, that was a favourite punishment of Filches.

"Eleven o'clock?" Lily asked, "that's a bit late."

"Sometimes the teachers do it, especially if this is a Friday, to kind of ruin their weekend," James said, having this happened to him a number of times.

**Neither Harry, nor Hermione protested, feeling they deserved any punishment.**

"You kids are actually starting to depress me," Sirius said in disbelief.

**When eleven came around and they went to where they were assigned to go, they found Neville and Malfoy there. Harry honestly forgot about Malfoy having been given a detention as well.**

"Really?" James asked, "I thought that was the best part of all this."

**Filch told all four of them to follow him outside.**

"Outside?" They all said in surprise.

"We never got detention outside," Sirius added on at Harry's confused look.

"Probably because eight out of ten times, you were caught outside when you shouldn't be," Lily snorted, "so they thought giving you detention out there would be more like a reward."

**While out on the grounds, Filch was reminiscing about how he'd love to be able to give students a proper detention like stringing kids up by their wrists and leaving them to dangle, that'd keep them out of trouble, he always keeps the chains well-oiled encase Dumbledore ever let him.**

"He gives that speech every time," Remus laughed.

"But he's never actually been allowed to do it," Lily told Harry when he began eyeing them with worry.

**Harry was starting to feel a little worried, Filch sounded really pleased about whatever punishment they were getting tonight.**

"Filch is delighted every time a student's being punished," James said with an eye roll.

**Filch led them down to Hagrid's hut, who was outside waiting.**

"Bless irony," Sirius cackled.

"Their punishment for sneaking out at night and doing a favour for Hagrid, is going out at night and doing something with Hagrid," James asked, looking like he was torn between envy and pride at this fortune.

"Still," Remus said slowly, "what on earth would they be out there doing for Hagrid?"

Sirius read on quickly now.

**Harry felt better at once, surely if they were to be with Hagrid it wouldn't be too bad, but then Filch caught sight of his face and told him he shouldn't be enjoying himself too much with the oaf Hagrid.**

All five of them huffed at this, really was Filch just a jerk to everyone?

**He then told them they were to be headed into the Forbidden Forest.**

"What?" Lily yelped in shock.

"Relax Lily," James brushed her off, "the forest isn't even a punishment really."

"What on earth would they be doing in there though?" Remus asked curiously.

"Maybe helping Hagrid with some nocturnal creature," Sirius suggested, a few coming to his mind at once.

**Malfoy stopped in his tracks, fear clearly lacing his tone as he snapped they couldn't go in there, there were supposed to be werewolves in there!**

Now all four adults cracked up laughing at this, the three boys hardest of all.

Wiping a tear from his eye, Sirius told Harry, "we started that rumour ourselves."

"Best to keep students out of there during certain times of the month," James added on, messaging his ribs.

Even Remus was smiling slightly, they'd had some good memories out wandering that forest through the years.

**This only seemed to amuse Filch more, saying he should have thought of that before he went and broke the rules.**

"Why he's encouraging them to be scared is ridiculous," Lily muttered.

**Hagrid caught sight of them then, and greeted Harry and Hermione warmly, while Filch told him he shouldn't be too kind because they were here to be punished.**

"He probably feels a bit guilty, since he got them into this mess," Lily said, at least hoping that was the case.

**Then Filch departed, but not before giving one last kindly mention that he'd be back in the morning for whatever was left of them.**

"If only someone would eat him already," Sirius sighed.

**The moment Filch was out of sight, Malfoy turned on Hagrid and declared he wouldn't go into the Forest.**

"You don't have a choice," James snapped, he may have been angry with Hagrid for his actions regarding the dragon, but his opinion of the man hadn't lessened any. Hagrid was still the one who had been taking care of his son for most of this story, and they all hated hearing anyone be rude to him.

**Hagrid said oh yes he was, because that's the punishment Hogwarts gave. Malfoy snapped back he wasn't doing service work, he'd been expecting them to do lines!**

Harry's right fist clenched up automatically where the faint white scars were, but no one noticed but him.

Remus was chuckling, saying, "What kind of punishment is that? There's no lasting memory there."

**He was going to go back up to the castle and tell his father about this, but Hagrid cut him off and said his father would agree this is how things are done around here. So if he wanted to be expelled, he could go right back up there.**

"How I wish he would," Harry sighed.

**Malfoy didn't move, so satisfied Hagrid turned to the rest of them and told them what they'd be doing. They were looking for a hurt unicorn, whose blood was somehowall over the forest.**

"Really now?" they all said in surprise.

"What on earth in that forest could catch a unicorn badly enough to make it bleed?" Lily asked.

"The spiders maybe," Sirius offered, "I know there's some pretty awful ones towards the depths. A unicorn might have gotten caught in a web and, I don't know, come towards the edge looking for help."

James and Remus nodded, this made perfect sense to them.

**It was the second one in a week,**

"That's an anomaly though," James said, quirking a brow, "hardly anything in the forest is dumb enough to go back towards the spider den twice."

"You don't think it could be two unrelated instances," Remus offered.

"Now what are the odds of that," Sirius disagreed, "I don't know. Maybe there's something new in the forest since we left."

Lily looked far from pleased the longer these boys talked, and said, "and you still think it's safe for the kids to go wandering around in there?"

The three boys exchanged looks before they all nodded, James saying, "sure, so long as they stick to the path. Everything in their knows not to mess with the path, cause that's how Hagrid gets around."

Still looking unconvinced, Lily let Sirius read on.

**and that they were looking for it, maybe even to put it out of its misery. Malfoy asked what they were supposed to do when whatever attacked those unicorns found them.**

Lily pursed her lips, hating to agree with him, but unable to stop herself.

**Hagrid told them there wasn't anything in the forest that would hurt them if they stayed on the path, but if they did run into trouble to send up red sparks. Then he switched back to talking about the unicorn, saying it had clearly been staggering around for some time there was so much blood everywhere.**

"The poor thing," they all said in real sympathy.

**They would have to split into pairs, and Malfoy claimed Fang at once. Hagrid agreed, before pointing out Fang was a coward.**

"Well that didn't make me feel better, at all," Lily said in a quavering voice.

**Then Hagrid decided that he, Harry, and Hermione would go one way, and Malfoy, Neville, and Fang would go another way.**

"Now that sucks," James said, "can't they all go one way, and Malfoy his own direction?"

"If only," Remus agreed.

**They wandered out into the forest then, and split off into two separate paths. Harry asked if a werewolf really could be doing this,**

"What's with this sudden werewolf fascination?" Remus asked curiously.

Harry bit his lip, not wanting to admit what he'd been thinking then, but at Remus' wide, curious look Harry finally blurted, "I didn't know they were, um like you. Quirrell made them seem like this really awful thing and..." he trailed off miserably, but James gave him a nudge saying "lots of wizards say stuff like that."

Remus was smiling at Harry without any kind of anger and said gently, "I had to listen to it in class as well. Can't do anything but make the best of it."

Harry smiled over at him, happier than anything that he knew Remus now. He also forced himself to keep ignoring this odd feeling that he had some other memory of Remus, or perhaps just another werewolf and he was getting them confused? He really had no idea.

"To answer your question," Sirius said lightly, "no, a werewolf isn't fast enough to catch a unicorn."

"Know that from personal experience," James laughed, now that had been a memorable night.

**Hagrid told him no, they weren't fast enough. In fact it was a rarity for unicorns to be hurt at all. They walked for a while longer before Hagrid shouted that they had to get behind a tree!**

"Don't scream like that Sirius," Lily snapped, rubbing over her heart, "you bloody gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry," Sirius said, without sounding very sorry at all.

**Harry and Hermione crouched behind an oak, while Hagrid fitted an arrow into his crossbow, listening intently. They heard a slithering noise in the distance,**

"Slithering?" the boys asked, puzzled.

"Are snakes known to be in the forest?" Lily asked.

"Not really," James shook his head, "any normal animals that wander in there get killed pretty easily, or don't last long enough to be a problem."

**it sounded like a cloak on the ground threw leaves.**

"What are the odds a teacher's in there as well?" Harry asked hopefully.

The silence that greeted this was more than an answer, as well as all of their scared faces.

**Hagrid stayed silent until the noise had faded before muttering that there was something in the forest that shouldn't be. Harry once again suggested werewolf.**

"Is it even a full moon out?" Remus asked, really laughing this time.

Harry frowned, thinking back, "um, I don't think so. The clouds were really thick that night, and I never got a proper look."

"Then just let it go pup," Sirius chuckled.

**Hagrid said no, that he didn't know what that noise was, then he heard a new noise closer and demanded that whatever it was should show itself. Out stepped half a man, half a chestnut body of a horse. Harry and Hermione felt themselves go slack jawed,**

"I don't blame you," James agreed, "seeing a centaur for the first time can be a bit shocking."

"Anyone you know?" Lily asked, genuinely curious.

"We never got on a first name basis with the centaurs," Sirius said, "they never liked us creeping around them much to get acquainted."

**as they came face to face with a centaur. Hagrid greeted him with familiarity, calling him Ronan. The centaur said hello to Hagrid back, turning his attention curiously to Harry and Hermione, asking if they were students at the school, and how much they learned. Hermione just said a bit.**

"A bit?" They all snickered.

"Nice to see how much faith she has in the school" Harry laughed, it was much easier to be relaxed and thinking back on this night in this brightly lit living room surrounded by these people, though he couldn't quite fight back another wave of pain that was clouding him. Something really awful happened in the forest, something that he really was afraid of. Yet these three had wandered around the forest for years and nothing to bad seemed to happen to them.

**Ronan didn't seem impressed, then randomly looked up into the sky and said that mars was bright this night. Hagrid hardly glanced up before asking the centaur if he'd seen a hurt unicorn, or anything weird. Ronan took his time answering before saying that it was always the innocent who were the first victims.**

"That, wasn't an answer," Lily said.

"Yeah, the very few times we did talk to them, they were annoying enough we didn't try very hard," James said, grimacing.

**Hagrid repeated his question, and this time Ronan merely repeated that mars is bright tonight. Hagrid repeated if he saw anything unusual, closer to home,**

All five of them laughed at this small humorous exchange, so far this hadn't been nearly as stressful as they would have feared.

**and Ronan merely said that the forest hides secrets.**

"Now that's beyond true," Sirius agreed, smiling to himself.

**Then there was more movement, and yet another centaur stepped forward, this one black in colour. Hagrid said a hello to him as well, calling him Bane.**

"Does Hagrid know all of the centaurs?" Harry asked in surprise.

"Most of them yeah," Remus said, "he spends as much time in the forest as we did, but he takes more time to get to know the creatures in there."

"Yeah, we just kind of liked roaming around for the hell of it," Sirius laughed.

**Hagrid asks Bane this time if he's seen anything, and Bane mimics Ronan at looking up into the sky and merely saying that mars is bright tonight.**

"That gag's not funny anymore," James said, rolling his eyes. This was usually the point in the conversation he and his friends walked away.

**Hagrid lost his patience with the pair and said that if they did see anything, to let him know, before escorting Harry and Hermione away. Then he grumbled that you should never try and get a straight answer out of a centaur.**

"I would have never guessed that," Sirius huffed.

**Harry asks if that was a centaur they heard the first time, and Hagrid pointed out that was not the sound of hooves, that it wasn't anything he'd ever heard before.**

They all tensed up at this, none of them appreciating Hagrid's confirmation of what they all had been thinking.

A cloak, that could mean a wizard, which meant whoever was at school this year trying to steal the Stone, and kill Harry it seemed, was most likely the one out there with him right now. Either that or it was still some new creature capable of hurting a unicorn, which wasn't any more kind to think about near Harry.

'Please let me just be paranoid and not right,' they hoped dearly to both options.

**Hermione then notices red sparks in the distance.**

"Crap," James muttered at once, any number of scenarios blowing through his mind.

"I don't care about the Malfoy twat, but don't let Neville get hurt," Sirius muttered.

"They're fine, I'm sure," Remus said, unable to keep the edge out of his own voice, "one of them probably panicked or..." he trailed off, and Sirius hurried on.

**Hagrid ran off at once, telling them to stay put. Hermione and Harry worried the whole time he was gone, saying they would blame themselves if anything happened to Neville, but thankfully Hagrid came back with both boys and Fang.**

"Thank Merlin," they all breathed in relief.

**Hagrid was furious, as apparently Malfoy had snuck up on Neville and grabbed him as a prank.**

"Like I said," Sirius spat in disgust, "no pity what so ever for that little twat."

**Neville had panicked and sent up the sparks, and Hagrid was now convinced that with all the noise they were making they wouldn't find a thing now. Then he reassigned partners, telling Harry to go with Malfoy and Fang while Neville could stay with him.**

"Hagrid no," all four adults groaned.

"He could get hurt," Lily fretted, her panic at once going up about five more levels without Hagrid there to protect him.

"He'll just insult him the whole time," James disagreed. He still stood by what he said, that forest wasn't so dangerous so long as you knew what you were doing. The problem though, was that Harry didn't know what he was doing, since it was his first time in. Plus, with Malfoy there, he really didn't expect reliable backup if something did happen. Okay, yeah now his panic was beginning to rise again.

**Hagrid whispered an apology to Harry as they departed, but insisted they had to get this job done.**

"That did not make me feel better, at all," Remus huffed.

**Harry set off with Malfoy now, wandering deeper into the forest and finally coming across a blood trail.**

"Please tell me you found it, Hagrid fixed it up, and you went back to bed," Lily prayed.

**They inched forward following it, until they finally came across the dead unicorn.**

All five of them were frowning sadly at this, it was a true loss when something so purely good and magical was killed for any reason.

**Harry continued edging towards it when he heard the same slithering noise from before.**

Muscles were tensing up all along Sirius' jaw as he read this. He suddenly decided he'd take the magical creature run in's more than any dark wizard creeping around.

They were all wound tighter than ever before, and no one had the heart to interrupt Sirius with pointless speculation now.

**At the opposite end of the clearing something came crawling out of a bush.**

"Crawling," James breathed, so perhaps not an actual dark wizard, though none of them had any idea what it was, so the point still stood they wanted him out of there.

**They stood there, petrified as the figure prowled closer and began drinking the unicorn's blood.**

"That is wrong on so many levels," Remus said in disgust.

"If anything drinks a unicorn's blood, it's cursed," James whispered to Harry, pleased to hear whatever this was seemed more interested in the creature then his son.

**Malfoy screamed, loudly.**

"And that just drew its attention to you," Lily moaned, nearly biting her lip to blood in worry, again.

**Then he and Fang bolted, turning the creature's attention on Harry,**

"Why didn't you run to!" Remus practically screamed, they all looked torn between passing out or screaming at him.

"I froze up," Harry admitted, rubbing his scar and wondering why he remembered it paining him dearly.

**and Harry couldn't move a muscle he was so terrified. The creature got to two feet and began stalking towards Harry, whose scar suddenly felt like it was lit on fire.**

"Wha-" James whispered.

"What kind of thing can do that?" Remus demanded.

Lily had Harry's hand clutched so tightly in her own, Harry was beginning to lose feeling in it again.

**Half blind with pain, Harry tried staggering away, when he heard hooves approaching.**

"Another unicorn?" James wondered, pressing his shoulder into Harry's and resisting the urge to pull him into a hug for his own comfort. That would drag him away from Lily though, so he'd settle for squishing his son. He dearly hoped the thing will be distracted and Harry will find his legs again.

**Whatever it was jumped clean over Harry and continued galloping towards the thing. The pain in Harry's head hadn't lessened any as he fell to his knees, the pain taking a minute to pass away.**

Harry was pale as the others, his hand that wasn't being pinned by this mother's massaging his scar in real pain. It wasn't hurting now, thankfully, but he did remember that fiery pain all too well.

**When he did look up, it was to find a centaur coming back towards him,**

"I take back every foul thing I said about centaurs," Sirius breathed, looking euphoric from the sudden relief he felt.

"I don't care who this centaur is, next chance I get, I'm going out to the forest to shake his hand," Remus agreed.

James and Lily were still a bit too in shock at yet another death moment their eleven year old had experienced.

**and it was one he hadn't yet met, with a palomino body. Younger in the face, it kindly asked if Harry was okay, who agreed he was as he got shakily to his feet and asked what that was. The centaur didn't answer, but instead asked if he was Harry Potter.**

That shook Lily out of her shock, saying, "Jeez, how famous is Harry for the centaurs to know him by sight?"

"As famous as Dumbledore," James said, the true scope of his son's fame being put into perspective for the first time.

**The centaur then told Harry the forest wasn't safe for him and they had to get out of there, and offered Harry a ride.**

"Bloody hell," Sirius looked more jealous than anything now, "you road a centaur? No one in wizard history has ever done that, with consent anyways."

"Don't tell me," Lily began, eyeing Sirius warily.

"Don't be daft Lily," Sirius said at once, "I would never do something like that."

Lily nodded, admitting she was sorry.

**He introduced himself as Firenze as Harry climbed on.**

All four adults nodded in remembrance at this, while Harry sighed in relief, the name of this centaur had felt really important to him for some reason, was it possible Harry would run into him again?

**When Firenze was fixing to leave, Ronan and Bane made a fierce appearance, yelling that Firenze was disgracing them by acting like a mule and letting Harry ride him.**

"That's exactly why no person's ever been on them," James said, "they think it's insulting."

"Good thing Firenze is friendlier," Lily sighed.

**Firenze tried to protest, saying this was Harry Potter and he had to get out of the forest as fast as possible. Bane was still not pleased, growling that it was none of their business, that they were sworn not to by the heavens.**

"Sworn by who?" Lily asked.

"I've no idea," Remus said curiously, "no one really knows anything about centaur kind. They're far too secretive, and hardly allow anyone around their land. Hagrid is probably one of the few people they've made an actual friend of."

**Ronan tried to back Firenze up, saying he was sure he was just doing what he thought was best. Bane was even less pleased, rearing up in anger and shouting that it was their job to watch and foretell the future, not go running around after humans.**

"That's ridiculous," James snorted, "why would you only care about the future? What's the point in living if you don't enjoy the moments you're in now?"

"Well spoken," Lily agreed.

**Firenze argued back that the unicorn dying was setting something bad in motion, and he was willing to work alongside humans if that meant fixing it. Then he spun around and galloped away from the other two.**

Harry frowned, rubbing his temple again. He felt bad for Firenze, he had clearly been set apart by his own kind, and he had a sinking feeling it was only going to get worse.

**Harry tried to ask what Bane was so angry about, and again asked what he had been saved from.**

"I don't care why Bane's angry," Remus snorted, "but I would very much like to know the other question."

**Firenze slowed to a walk but kept walking for some time, not seeming intent on answering Harry.**

Both Sirius and Remus gave a little huff of annoyance.

**When he did stop in a particularly dense part of the forest, he instead asked a question of his own, which was if Harry knew what unicorn blood was used for. Harry said no, that they only used the horn and tail hairs in Potions.**

"And you only ever will," Lily agreed.

**Firenze explained that this was because unicorns are so purely good and magical that it was a terrible crime to slay one. The blood of a unicorn will keep you alive, even if you are a breath from death. Because you have slain something and drank the blood of something so pure and defenseless,**

"Defenseless is going a bit far," Sirius snorted, "you ever seen a unicorn charge you with one of those horns. Not pleasant."

"Well I did warn you not to go around that foal," Remus laughed, "so that was your own fault."

**for your own gain, you will be cursed the rest of your life. Harry wondered who would be that desperate, if you were to be cursed the rest of your life wouldn't it be better just to die? Firenze agreed, but pointed out that if you had something else to drink, something else that would give you strength and power...**

The book slipped out of Sirius' grip and hit the floor with a dull thunk. All four of them had gone suddenly rigid as a new thought hit them. They hadn't been thinking this at all, but it did make sense in the most dark and twisted way.

"Mum, Dad?" Harry asked in concern, "What did he say?"

James swallowed hard, meeting Harry's eyes fleetingly before whispering, "the Philosopher's Stone is being hidden at the school. It has the Elixir of Life in it, and a powerful dark wizard is trying to steal it..." his voice trailed off as he looked desperately at his son, waiting for Harry to catch on, and he saw instantly when he did.

Harry's wide green eyes went wider as he slowly whispered, "Voldemort."

For the first time in a very long time, all four adults in the room shivered at the name.

"But who-" Lily began, then her voice broke off in a choke, she looked like she was about to start screaming any second.

"It makes sense though," Sirius whispered, color beginning to return to his face, but it wasn't his normal tone, it was bright red. He continued on, still in a deadly whisper, "Who wants Voldemort to come back more than his loyal Death Eaters."

"Don't," Lily moaned, pressing her hands to her ears. It was too much. She couldn't get the thought out of her head. The first friend she'd ever had in her life. The young boy who had comforted her for years about how awful her sister was to her. The gangling teen who always sat around and listened to her, no matter how trivial. Then that last image. The last time she had spoken to her best friend, and he had insulted her in the worst way possible.

It was because she had never forgiven him he'd been drawn into that dark circle of friends. If she had just forgiven him, given him another chance...she hadn't realized she was crying until Harry wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug.

While he and James were almost identical in height and build, she could still sense the difference. Looking up at him, she saw the sadness in his eyes mirroring hers, and the conviction when he said, "It wasn't him."

Then his face crumpled in pain, and he looked like he was about to fall off the couch.

James caught him before he could, and their temporary fear was gone in an instance at this real and sudden fear. Harry was clutching his skull as if it were about to burst in two, he was sweating and panting like he'd run a mile, and tears were leaking out of his own eyes now.

Sirius got to his feet and made towards the kitchen again, but Remus called him back saying, "He's already coming out of it."

He spoke the truth, Harry's eyes were already beginning to flutter open again, he was looking around at all of them with sorrow deep in his eyes as he whispered, "Sorry."

James helped him to sit up straight, while saying quietly, "I, it's alright. You got your mother to stop crying so that's something."

Lily swatted him good naturedly, but then pressed her lips together into a thin line to stop herself from asking any of the questions that were burning inside of her. She knew Harry was right, that was a memory that had returned to him with such force, but then what the bloody hell was going on at that school. If it wasn't Severus Snape who was helping Voldemort to return, she suddenly gave a vindictive smile, then waltzed over and smacked Sirius Black on the back of the head.

"Ouch, what the bloody hell was that for?" He demanded, rubbing at the spot.

They had been sitting around talking to Harry, making sure he was alright and no worse for wear from that sudden outburst. Lily looked down at him with a stern look and said, "You were wrong, and you need to apologize."

Sirius opened his mouth to argue, then shut it quickly as he seemed to realize what she meant.

"I was wrong too Lily," Remus said, grinning slightly at the pair, "you going to whack me to?"

"I'm considering it," she said honestly.

The pair exchanged exasperated looks, then looked to their friend like 'help' but James just shook his head and said, "can't do nothing for you boys. I promised Lily I wouldn't do anything to him until these books were over."

"And now I want the same promise from you two," Lily added on.

They exchanged grudging looks again before both saying together, "Sorry."

Nodding happily, she walked back over and took her spot beside Harry, brushing the hair back from his face and asking in her own way if he was alright.

The boys made their way back to their own seats as well, the panic they had felt at the flooding realization Voldemort may not truly be gone dimmed slightly now. Harry was fully grown in front of them right now. It felt stupid they had to keep reminding themselves of this, but it really didn't help when moments like this just kept occurring back to back.

If, and they all very much hoped they were wrong, but if Voldemort did make a comeback in Harry's time, they sincerely hoped he had better things to do then come after Harry.

Perhaps he didn't even remember Harry, who knew what happened to a mind when, well what ever happened to Voldemort to make him disappear.

Sirius scooped up the book from where he dropped it, and finally read on in calmer tones.

**Harry recognized that Firenze was talking about the Philosopher's Stone, but then wondered who- Firenze cut him off and asked Harry if he could think of someone who had been waiting for their chance to come back to power. Harry realized he was talking about Voldemort.**

Sirius still shuddered slightly, privately taking back every time he'd mocked someone for shivering. He could finally see why they did, and he didn't like it.

**Their conversation was cut off by Hermione running towards them, Hagrid not far behind.**

"Hoping that means Malfoy and Fang made it back to Hagrid alright," Lily said, looking about for something more friendly to think on.

**Harry tells Hagrid that they found the unicorn, dead. Firenze lets Harry off, telling him it was safe now.**

"Is he really?" Remus breathed, not believing that himself until his little cub was back safe in the castle with Dumbledore at his post.

**Ron had fallen asleep in a chair waiting for them to come back.**

They all breathed a silent sigh of relief, even the three boys promising right then they did not want Harry going back into that forest.

**Harry was quick to explain to all of them what he'd figured out that night, that Snape didn't want the Stone for himself, but for Voldemort,**

None of them flinched this time, finally getting over their shock for good, but all three boys were now fully aware why everyone else in the world did it. None of them planned on telling Lily this though, they didn't think she needed another 'I told you so' moment so soon after the last one.

**and that Voldemort was waiting in the forest for it. They had just thought Snape wanted to get rich.**

Harry shook his head, sighing sadly at his younger self, but utterly sure that eleven year old him was wrong. If only he could remember why.

**Ron hissed that Harry should stop saying the name, but Harry ignored him, still pacing around and talking fast about how the centaurs must have figured out that Voldemort was destined to come back,**

"Can the planets show that?" Remus asked, truly interested.

"I failed astronomy, don't ask me," Sirius said.

"I've heard of branches of magic claiming that planets can foretell of dangers yes, and I suppose the centaurs may be able to read even more then that," Lily said curiously, she had always loved astronomy.

**and that Bane was sure that Voldemort was also destined to kill Harry. Ron again snapped that Harry should stop saying the name,**

"That's what he caught on?" James snorted, moving just a little closer to his son out of fear. An inept fear, but it was still there.

**and Harry still ignored him, finishing by saying that if Snape did get the Stone that Voldemort would for sure come back and kill Harry, but at least that would make Bane happy.**

Sirius was stammering by the end of the sentence, boy he never wanted to say those words again.

"How on earth could you have said that with such a straight face?" Remus demanded.

Harry simply shrugged saying, "I was having an out of body experience. It didn't feel that real to me," and privately thinking that, at the time, no one would really miss him if that were true anyways.

**Hermione tried to comfort Harry, reminding him that as long as Dumbledore was here at the school with them, You-Know-Who couldn't touch Harry.**

"That's about the only thing keeping me in my skin right now," Lily agreed.

**They talked long into the night until the sun was about to rise, but the nights surprises weren't over.**

Sirius' voice hitched, he didn't think he could stand any more of Harry's 'surprises' without having a heart attack.

**When Harry went up to bed, he found his invisibility cloak folded up in his bed.**

James released a huge breath admitting, "honestly, in all the chaos, I forgot to ask you when you went back up there to get it."

Harry frowned, puzzling to himself how it had gotten there, and so were the others apparently as Remus asked, "I don't suppose it has a note again, telling you who left it?"

Sirius read out loud.

**There was a note pinned to it, that only said 'just in case.'**

"And that's the chapter," he said, tossing the book to Harry.

"Bummer," James said.

"It must be a teacher at the school then," Remus said, rubbing his jaw, "maybe McGonagall? She's in the Order to, there could be a reason she would have your cloak I suppose. Who else would give that back to Harry?"

"McGonagall doesn't even know I own the cloak though," James argued.

"Well who else other than a teacher at that school would both recognize it as belonging to you, and give it back to Harry?" Sirius argued, thinking Remus had a good idea.

"McGonagall and Dumbledore are the only two I can think of," Lily agreed.

Sirius wanted to argue that maybe it could still be one of the three Marauders, but then that brought up the awful question all over again of where they'd been all these years? Also how they knew about the cloak at the school, and sent it back to Harry? They had nothing new to go on, so he remained silent.

James sighed, still rather frustrated at why those teachers would have it at all, but knew better then to think on it for too long. It's not like Harry knew the answer, so he instead asked if Harry was ready to read.

* * *

During my original rendition of this series, I got a comment from clh saying that the person was not pleased that Harry remembered it was Snape in this chapter, that it ruined the rest of the book:

I made Harry remember it was Snape for several reasons, the first of which so that you would see what would happen and understand it when, in the second book, Harry remembers Ginny's alive you recognize it wouldn't be the same thing as actually 'remembering.' I do know it kind of killed the mood, but if Harry didn't do it then, when he saw his Mom in such pain, then he hardly could have done it at a later time for possibly a lesser reason. Don't worry though, the suspension for the characters is still going to be there, as I'm pretty sure this won't happen again the rest of the series. There's only one other moment I can think right off the top of my head where Harry will clearly remember something, but it's nothing you guys are going to guess. As always, to each and every person, thank you for reading and reviewing, it really does help me push past some rough spots.


	17. THROUGH THE TRAPDOOR

Harry hesitated before answering him though, asking, "What's the Order? You guys have mentioned it a few times now."

"Oh," they all said, blinking in surprise. Sirius said, "it's an anti-Voldemort group."

Remus gave him a light pop on the head before going into far more detail than that.

Harry nodded along, wondering very much why he had such a sense of Deja vu' of Sirius and Remus telling him these things. He shook it off and thanked them when they had answered all of his questions, and then read on eagerly.

**Years later, Harry would never quite understand how he sat through his exams when he kept expecting Voldemort to come charging through the doors at any moment.**

"Well, since we managed it every year, I don't think the teachers would accept that," James said lightly, trying to force a joke into a deadly awful moment.

**Yet the days kept on, and the exams did come. Before they started, each student was given an Anti-Cheating quill.**

"Which work far too well," Sirius laughed.

"Sirius did you-" Lily began, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oh not me," he said at once, "but I knew this seventh year kid who had written a bunch of answer's down in invisible ink on his arm, and he got them to come back for his eyes alone during the exam right? Well the Anti-Cheating charm made it so that the ink he used was then invisible to anybody but him on his test to. So he basically turned in a blank paper and made a zero." He trailed off in bits of laughter.

"Is that what happens to all the cheaters?" Harry asked.

"No," Remus responded, his eyes twinkling with mirth, "it's a bit specialized for maximum karma on each cheating student. Thankfully, not that many students are stupid enough to try, so I can't think of many more examples."

Harry smiled and decided to keep going.

**They had practical exams first. In Charms they were supposed to make a pineapple dance across a table, and in transfiguration they were to turn a mouse into a snuffbox.**

"You're not saying how you did," Lily said, wanting to hear her son's results.

Harry thought a moment and said, "I did alright on the tap dancing pineapple, but it fell off in the end, so I didn't get full marks for it. My snuff box still had whiskers on it, but I got ninety percent of it, so again I didn't get full marks, but I passed." He paused, puzzling for a moment and thinking about his other exams he said, "err, I didn't do that well in astronomy, did awful in potions, did really good on my DADA course, despite Quirrell being an awful teacher really."

"What about Herbology?" Remus prompted.

Harry nodded, saying, "that one I did pretty well in."

"Let's keep going then, since I think that was all of them," Sirius said brightly.

**In potions they were set to make a Forgetfulness potion.**

"Points for irony," Lily chuckled.

**Harry tried his hardest in all of these, despite the near constant prickling of his scar, which had been happening ever since his trip into the forest.**

"It's not bothering you now though, right?" James demanded at once, still stuck on the oddity of it paining him at all but since they still had no idea of who or why he'd rather ask this question then one he knew Harry couldn't answer.

"No," Harry said, "and I promise I'll tell you if it does."

They all relaxed at once at that.

**Harry had been having nightmares again as well, now accompanied by a hooded figure dripping blood.**

"Did not want that mental image," Sirius groaned.

**Ron and Hermione didn't seem as worried over the Stone as Harry seemed to,**

"They have more confidence I suppose," James offered, having noted several times how little confidence his son seemed to have. Another thing he blamed those Dursley's for.

**though Voldemort scared them plenty, but they were both too busy studying to worry about much else.**

"And there's that," Remus agreed, those exams were enough to make anyone study, even this lot of trouble makers.

**Their last exam was History of Magic.**

"Oh yeah," they all said brightly, but it was so easy to forget about this class.

"I did alright on that one," Harry said, shrugging, "not that good, but better than I thought."

"That's all anyone can hope for on that test," Sirius chuckled.

Harry smiled over at him, then felt an odd wincing pain. What was it about a History of Magic exam and Sirius that would cause that? Brushing it off, he quickly hurried on, not really liking the aching feeling that was growing inside of him.

**After they left Hermione said this one was easier then she'd been expecting,**

"I bet she said that about all of her exams," Lily laughed.

**and how she hadn't needed to learn about the Werewolf Code of Conduct from 1637**

"That's second year material," Remus rolled his eyes.

**or the uprising of Elfric the Eager.**

"And so is that," James laughed.

"I'm impressed you guys remember anything from that class," Sirius said, a bit dumbfounded.

**She did this a lot, went back through and examined every exam, which only annoyed Ron. The three of them had made it out into the sun by now, and laid out under a tree.**

The three friends smiled nostalgically at this, wondering if this happened to be the same tree they always sat under. The odd's made it seem unlikely, but it would still be something if he did.

**Fred, George, and Lee Jordan could be seen in the distance tickling the giant squid.**

"Be careful with that," James said at once, "that thing pulled Peter in the lake once for doing that."

"He spit him out though," Sirius said, laughing loudly at the memory.

**It was a warm and sunny day without a care in the world. Ron was praising that they didn't have to do anymore studying, and that Harry should cheer up more, they wouldn't find out how badly they did for months.**

"Now that's the right attitude," James laughed, having told Remus that more than once.

**Harry was rubbing at his forehead, his mind not on exams as he told them his scar was still hurting. He claimed he felt it was some sort of warning, that danger was near.**

Lily quirked a brow at this, saying slowly, "the last time it happened though, was at the start of term feast. What was dangerous about that?"

Their minds scattered, but they all came back to one idea. They hadn't discussed it yet, but since Harry had told them Snape definitely wasn't the culprit, then the only other person who might be was a stuttering fool who clearly couldn't stand up to anyone.

Easy pickings for Voldemort to control sure, but how? To many questions, not enough patience to wait around and speculate, Harry was already going on.

**Ron still didn't seem too concerned, saying that they still had no proof Snape knew how to get past Fluffy, that Hagrid surely wouldn't tell anyone.**

"Well, Ron's gotten better at reassuring people," Remus agreed.

**Harry agreed, though insisted he felt like he was forgetting something. Hermione told him that was just exam nerves, that she'd woken up last night and gone over her Transfiguration notes, before remembering they'd already done that one.**

"I don't think so," Harry muttered to himself, churning everything he had learned so far over in his mind, but then deciding to let the book continue, rather than strain himself again. He really didn't want another memory blast like the last one.

**Harry still couldn't make his mind agree, turning everything over as he thought of Hagrid. Hagrid would never let Dumbledore down, would never tell anyone about Fluffy...except- Harry lunged to his feet.**

"What did you figure out?" James asked.

Harry wasn't listening, he had figured it out at the same time he had in the book, and he was too panicked to explain so he read on.

**Ron startled and demanded to know where Harry was going, and Harry said they had to go see Hagrid, now! Hermione tried to ask why while keeping up with a now running Harry, who explained that it was a bit of a coincidence that Hagrid had just happen to win a dragon egg, when it was illegal to carry them around in pockets.**

All four adults sat there like they'd just been smacked in the face.

"Oh bloody hell," Sirius cried.

"How on earth did I miss that," Remus hissed in self-disgust.

"Well we were a bit preoccupied with the dragon itself," James muttered, rubbing his temple in agitation.

"Oh, I really hope Hagrid didn't..." Lily trailed off, looking worriedly at her son who was still going paler as he kept going.

**How it must have been lucky for that wizard to run into Hagrid who wanted a dragon more than anything else.**

"I'm confounded, really I am," all three boys were muttering something similar to this, how could they have missed a detail like that?

**They reached Hagrid's hut, who was outside sitting in the sun, and Harry began asking about the night Hagrid won Norbert. Asking if perhaps he recognized the stranger who had his egg? Hagrid said he never even saw the face, how he wouldn't take his cloak off,**

"And he didn't find that the least bit odd?" James demanded.

**but that wasn't so unusual in a place like the Hog's Head.**

"Okay, fair point that," Lily agreed, they had all been in there at some point.

**It wasn't to out there that he could have been a dragon dealer.**

Remus muttered something to himself, yes that's what they had thought at the time, but the timing! It was just too perfect that a dragon dealer would show up when Hagrid had information like that.

Harry wasn't giving them much time for self-pity, he was reading on in too much of a rush.

**Harry asked what they talked about, and Hagrid described his job here on the grounds, and the creatures he looked after. Fluffy might have come up at some point, the stranger kept buying Hagrid drinks.**

"Oh no," Sirius moaned, wanting to smash his head against the wall.

"Of all the bloody," James trailed off in frustration.

"Did Hagrid not recognize the voice though?" Lily asked.

Remus snorted, saying, "oh please Miss Potion Master, you're telling me you don't know a way to disguise your voice and throw on a hood."

Lily nodded in acceptance of that.

**Harry asked if the stranger was interested in Fluffy, and Hagrid agreed he was, three headed dogs were a rarity, but Fluffy was easy enough to handle if you knew what to do with him. Just play him a bit of music and he'd go straight off to sleep-**

All four adults face palmed at that.

"It's official," James mumbled, "we are idiots."

"Apparently all you have to do to get information out of Hagrid is just keep him talking for more than five minutes," Sirius agreed.

"Yeah great," Remus said, a bit of anxiety colouring his tone, "now we know you can put the three headed dog to sleep by singing it a lullaby, but Harry you better wipe that look off of your face right now."

They all whipped around to look at their boy, and Harry tried to fix his features, but it was too late.

"Harry, no," Lily begged, "you didn't."

Harry was gnawing his lip to pieces as he struggled to remember, saying slowly, "something happens, I can't for the life of me remember, but something bad happens. So yeah, I'm going to say we did."

All four of them leaned back into their seats, looking on at him in stunned disbelief.

An eleven year old boy went to get past that dog, and probably fifty more enchantments, after a fully grown wizard, possibly Voldemort himself. How on earth was this kid still alive?

Harry decided to keep reading now while they were all still stunned.

**Hagrid stopped himself, but it was too late. The three friends tore off again, heading back to the castle, now looking for Dumbledore's office.**

The boys were still too stunned to make a mention of where they knew the office to be, not that it would have made a difference then.

**They reached the entrance hall before realizing they had no idea where to go, and didn't know anyone to ask.**

Sirius opened his mouth, his mind actually starting to turn on again, and said weakly, "if those Weasley twins are anything like I think, they would know."

"You're encouraging this!" Lily blew up at him at once.

"I'm encouraging them to go find Dumbledore's office," he snapped right back. "Jeez, keep your hair on woman."

Lily deflated and apologized at once.

This argument finally shook Remus and James out of there stupors as well. None of them were happy about what Harry said was fixing to happen, but it had already happened. So they would just try to make the best of it as they went, and try to remember to breathe in the process.

**Harry began to say they would just have to- but was cut off by a voice calling out to them.**

"What were you going to say?" James asked curiously.

"Go to McGonagall," Harry replied, a small smile twitching his lips as he actually did remember who was about to come down the stairs.

**It was McGonagall,**

"Speak of the teacher," Lily said, trying to make a joke.

**who asked what they were up to. Hermione said that they wanted to see Dumbledore, and she asked them why.**

"Well I can't blame her for that," Remus agreed, forcing a smile onto his face, "not many students actually want to go see the Headmaster, since it normally means they're in trouble."

**Harry hesitated before saying it was a secret,**

The three boys snorted in real amusement at this, James saying, "Harry, you really shouldn't have said that."

**Professor McGonagall was not pleased, telling them that Dumbledore left ten minutes ago.**

Harry fidgeted hard, while the four people around him cried out in a panic. Before they could really start to freak out, the sensory charm went off, and Lily made a beeline for her baby's room.

She came back down cradling her son, but then noticing how devastated the two boys on the other couch looked, decided to take pity on them and said, "one of you want to hold him while I get his bottle?"

"I'll hold him," Sirius said brightly, forcing the rising panic very far down and focusing on the task at hand.

"I'll get the bottle," Remus said, getting up and making his way into the kitchen before Lily could.

Lily sighed as she sat back down next to her son, and then asked sadly, "is this the bad thing you mentioned?"

Harry nodded, saying, "yeah, sorry I didn't remember that."

"Not your fault," James sighed, running his hand through his hair in agitation.

Remus came back in, and the two boys had a brief squabble who was going to get to feed the baby. Remus won, and Harry decided to keep reading.

**He had received a note from the Ministry telling him to go off to London.**

"Timing," Sirius muttered snidely, none of them in any way thinking this was a coincidence.

**Harry exclaimed his surprise, and McGonagall reminded Harry that Dumbledore was a very important wizard who had many obligations besides Hogwarts.**

"True," Lily sighed, "but now? On the day of exams, when all the teachers are the busiest? Perfect opportunity much?"

"To bad McGonagall doesn't agree," Harry said sadly.

 **Harry tried to reason with her, going all out and admitting this was about the Philosopher's S** **tone.**

"That'll toss her," Remus said, surprised Harry would admit something like that so quickly, though it only emphasized how much of a panic he was in.

**McGonagall began spluttering in surprise about how could they know about that,**

"I'll give her that," James agreed, "it would be a shock for a couple of first years to have figured that out."

**but Harry cut her off and says that he thinks someone was going to try and steal the Stone. She continued eyeing them with suspicion,**

"Suspicious of what?" Lily asked.

"Probably thought this was an elaborate prank," Sirius offered, this being his usual fall back excuse.

**but then repeated that Dumbledore wouldn't be back until tomorrow.**

"Why?" All of the adults asked in shock.

"He can just go to the edge of the school grounds and apparte," Remus said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "he'd get there and they would wonder why he was there, then he'd rush back realizing he'd been duped."

"Or the flew network, or a portkey, or bloody anything," James added on.

Harry shrugged, saying weakly, "I've no idea."

All of them sighed in defeat, admitting there was nothing else for it.

**She assures them that the Stone is too well protected to be stolen, and tells them to go back outside.**

"This is awful," Lily groaned, "I can't even blame her for not believing you, this is pretty out there, but now you're going to..." she trailed off, too horrified to even say it aloud, and none of them needed her to.

**Harry turned unhappily to his friends, telling them that Snape was going to do it tonight, and speak of the teacher, he chose that moment to come up from the dungeons and sneer good afternoon at them.**

"Not anymore now that you're here," Sirius said hotly.

"Sirius," Lily snapped, "you're saying you don't believe Harry."

"Of course I believe him," he scoffed, "and I'll admit I was wrong about him wanting to steal the Stone and all that, but it doesn't mean I suddenly like him. He's still been an arse to Harry all year for no good reason."

Lily sighed as she looked up at the ceiling, taking that victory for what it was.

**Snape then made a snide comment that they really shouldn't be sneaking around, because Gryffindor really couldn't lose any more points.**

"Git," James agreed with Sirius, did he really need to go rubbing that in right now?

**Harry waits until he leaves before turning back to his friends and coming up with a plan, saying someone needed to keep an eye on Snape, and asks Hermione if she will.**

"That sounds like a horrible idea," Remus said in disbelief, "I can't imagine any of you could follow him without his noticing."

"Hopefully she goes to fetch the cloak, that will make it a bit easier," Sirius offered.

"But Snape didn't do it," James sighed, "so following him is pointless."

"There's that to," Lily chuckled.

Harry was blushing slightly, it's not like he'd known that at the time, so he was just trying to cover all of his bases.

**He and Ron would wait outside of Fluffy's door.**

"Why?" James demanded this time, "What good would it do you two to hang around out there."

Harry hesitated a moment before answering, "we were hoping if Snape ran into us before he went into the dog, we could stall him long enough someone would arrive. Either that, or go get McGonagall again and force her to come up to see Snape doing something, you know once he'd told us to go away."

"And it's too much to hope none of that happens?" Lily asked without any real hope.

The shake of Harry's head was all the answer she needed, she had already resigned her fate to what Harry had said they were going to do earlier.

**That didn't work out so well because McGonagall came around again,**

"Maybe she did believe you, and was checking on the Stone herself," Sirius asked.

Harry shrugged, pausing a moment to rub his ears at the telling off he and Ron were about to get.

**and told them that if she caught them up in this corridor again she'd take another hundred points away from Gryffindor. Harry and Ron went back to their common room, dejected but at least semi assured Hermione was watching Snape when she came into the portrait hole herself.**

"So, that didn't work," James said sadly, wincing when he saw how down trodden Harry looked.

"Cheer up pup," Sirius said bracingly when he noticed this too, "you survive at least."

Harry sighed miserably and said what he had been thinking for a while now, "It's just, looking back, I feel like an idiot. I was wrong about it being Snape, no one believed us even though something really wrong was going on, and nothing we did seemed to have made any difference. For all I know, Voldemort really does get the Stone, and him coming back is all my fault."

"That's nonsense," Remus spoke up first before any of the others could protest, "you were eleven Harry. Think about that for a moment. Yes you were wrong about who was trying to steal it, but three first years figured it out when no one else did. Through a bit of luck yeah, but still, that's more than impressive. As for if," he stressed that word out, "Voldemort did come back, it has nothing to do with it being your fault. I'd blame the bloody school and Dumbledore himself before blaming you for that."

Harry smiled at him, but still didn't look totally convinced, until Lily said, "Harry dear think about all you've done in this year alone. All those things that gave us panic attacks, you got through them on your own, with the help of your friends. You're clearly a very smart, capable boy, who's doing everything he can to do the right thing. We are all more than proud of you, no matter what comes of this."

It seemed to take a while for this to sink in, but then Harry really did begin to smile, until he was beaming around at all of them.

Baby Harry burped in Remus' arms, and the timing of that was so unexpected, they all couldn't help but laugh for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company.

Sucking in a deep breath, Harry read on with confidence.

**She explained that she got caught out there as well, and that they were out of options now. Harry however, said that they were done going around, it was time they go get the Stone themselves. Ron told Harry he was mad.**

"Kind of want to agree with him," Sirius rolled his eyes, when he caught sight of Harry's face he quickly added on, "in the best way possible of course."

Harry snorted in amusement at that before reading.

**That he refused to sit around and just wait for Voldemort to come back to full power, and possibly turn Hogwarts into a school for the Dark Arts.**

"Now there's a horrifying thought," Remus agreed.

**Or worse be sent back to live with the Dursleys full time while waiting for Voldemort to come find him.**

"No," James said in fear, "that is a horrifying thought."

All five of them shivered in disgust at that idea.

**Finishing with the reminder that Voldemort killed his parents.**

Then the four adults sighed, unable to argue with him after this little speech.

"Did I mention how proud we are of you?" James asked in a conversational tone.

"It never gets old to hear it," Harry said, smiling around at them all.

"Then we'll just have to say it more often," Lily said, running a hand lovingly through his hair again.

Harry leaned into the touch, feeling relaxed and ready to take on the world, quite the opposite of how he'd been feeling then. Upset and angry at the world for leaving him in a no win situation, or at least that's how it had felt.

**Ron and Hermione exchange a small look before Ron voiced whether the cloak would cover all three of them.**

"It should," Sirius said brightly, "it covered all four of us, at least our first year. Starting second year, we had to crouch, and after that, it never covered more than two of us at a time."

"Good to know," Lily snorted at this random input.

**Harry repeated all three of them in confusion.**

"Come off it," Remus chuckled, "you didn't really think your friends would let you go alone after that little speech."

"I didn't want them to be in danger," Harry said sadly.

"Well, if they're anything like my friends, you couldn't stop them if you wanted to," James laughed.

**Hermione pointed out that Harry certainly wasn't going alone. Harry pointed out to them that if they got caught, they were likely to be kicked out of school as well. Hermione chose that moment to say that she'd already heard from Professor Flitwick that she had gotten a perfect score on her exam.**

They were all pulled out of the dark path Harry was about to jump down, once again stunned in the face of Hermione Granger.

"Has anyone ever made a perfect score?" Lily asked.

"Guess they have now," Sirius laughed.

**Declaring no one was throwing her out for that.**

"Going to have to agree with her on that one," Remus chuckled.

**The three of them were quite for the rest of the night, to wound up for what they were going to do to talk much. Hermione kept herself apart, trying to read up and hopefully come across a spell they were going to have to get past.**

"I would like to repeat that, the teachers of this school set up those enchantments. Unless she's reading past a seventh year level, then I will be truly astounded if she comes across them," Sirius said.

Harry merely shrugged, he had a good feeling that it was only because of Hermione that he had survived this night at all.

**When Harry went upstairs to get his cloak, he came across the flute Hagrid had sent him for Christmas and pocketed it.**

"Convenient," Lily muttered.

**Just as they were leaving for the trapdoor, a voice called out what they were doing.**

"Not Percy, anyone but Percy," Sirius was saying to himself. He too had already resigned his fate to hearing about more death threats to his little pup, he really didn't want it to be delayed by a Prefect.

**It was Neville, and Harry was quick to try and reassure him they weren't up to anything, and that Neville should go back up to bed.**

"You clearly weren't any better at lying then, then you are now," Remus wanted to laugh, but he was still a bit too wound up to really.

**Neville doesn't believe them, and instead guesses right that they were going out again. He insists that they shouldn't, that Gryffindor would just get in trouble again.**

"Kids got a point," James said.

"Don't suppose you explain everything and he comes along?" Sirius asked.

"No," Harry said, wincing as he did vaguely remember feeling guilty for what was about to happen.

**Harry tries to tell him otherwise, but Neville stands his ground and says he'd fight them not to leave.**

"Wow," they all said in surprise, not having seen this coming at all.

**Ron snaps that Neville was being an idiot,**

"And here Ron was the one telling him not to let people call him an idiot," Lily said, finding even more irony as this went on.

**but Neville snaps back that Ron was the one telling him that he should stand up to people.**

"I don't think he meant them," Remus said lightly, still very glad Neville had taken those words to heart.

**Then he puts his fists up and repeats he wouldn't let them leave, didn't want to see them get into more trouble.**

"This is the best Gryffindor student yet," James laughed, then looked at Harry and said, "except for you and your friends of course."

Harry snorted, but still felt feelings of guilt as he kept going.

**Hermione apologizes for what she's about to do, then cries out the spell Petrificus Totalus.**

"Ouch," all five of them winced in sympathy.

"I suppose, since you were really desperate to get around him, that was the best way to go," Remus said sadly.

"Snape did that to me once," Sirius said in regret, "bastard left me stuffed behind the broom shed for an hour before James found me."

Lily had her lips pursed, forcing herself not to say anything.

Harry still felt really guilty for doing this, but then for some odd reason he pondered why he had this feeling like Neville was going to be rewarded for it?

**They felt guilty for it, but still turned and left while slipping the invisibility cloak on.**

"Poor kid," they all said one more time before coming back to the ugly realization of where Harry and his friends were off to so fast, and suddenly wishing Neville had really stopped them.

**They travelled through the mostly deserted hallways, only coming across Mrs. Norris who stood there for several moments just staring at them.**

"Always hated it when she did that," Remus said.

**Just before they made it to the door, they also ran into Peeves. He recognized someone was there, even if he couldn't see them,**

"I always loved the way he talked to himself," James chuckled.

**and muttered to himself that he should call for Filch if someone was creeping around the castle.**

"You see Lily," Remus said, bringing up an argument from much earlier, when their biggest fear in the world was Harry getting caught by Filch. "Peeves' first instinct when he doesn't know what's going on is to call Filch. He does want to keep this castle safe as anyone else."

Lily nodded, accepting this logic.

**Harry got the sudden idea to try and imitate the Bloody Baron, telling Peeves he had his reasons for being invisible.**

"Wow," James said with glee, "I didn't think to do that until the end of my first year to."

"Yeah, but you did a horrible impression of him, and you still got caught," Sirius laughed.

"Peter was the best at faking it," Remus added, laughing at his two friends as they made faces at each other.

**Peeves instantly bought it, nearly falling out of the air in his surprise.**

"Well he clearly bought Harry's," Sirius said in surprise.

**Harry then instructed Peeves to stay away from this area for the rest of the night, which Peeves agrees to at once.**

"Bloody brilliant son," James said, clapping Harry on the back, then wincing when he had to remind himself where Harry was sneaking off to.

**They finally made it to the door, to find it already left cracked open.**

"It's rude not to close the door behind you," Lily rolled her eyes, wishing that was the worst thing about this situation.

**Harry offered his friends one more chance to go back, but they both refused.**

Harry sighed, missing his two friends more and more the longer this went on. He hoped they were alright, whenever they were.

**They entered Fluffy's room to find a harp sitting off to the side, deciding Snape must have left it there.**

Sirius couldn't help it, he cracked up laughing at that. "Sorry," he gasped, getting the stank eye from Lily, "I just couldn't help myself. Picturing that slime ball in a dress, playing the harp," he trailed off, giggling like a child, and even Harry, James and Remus joined in.

**Fluffy was not happy to see them, beginning to growl at once, but Harry quickly put the flute to his lips and began playing, putting the dog to sleep instantly.**

"Well that was easy enough," Lily said in surprise.

"Wish that was all it took to put all dogs to sleep," James said, throwing a smirk at Sirius.

Sirius put his nose in the air, ignoring that comment.

**Ron and Hermione slip around the dog to the trapdoor, Ron offers Hermione if she'd like to go first.**

"Chivalry is flattery," Remus chuckled.

**She snaps not, so it's Ron who pulls on the ring,**

"Guess it would be a bad thing if I said they were lucky the dog didn't just land on the stupid door," James sighed.

**which swings the door open.**

"Still can't believe these two doors are so easy to get past," Remus sighed.

"Speak for yourself," Harry grumbled, finding being in the room with Fluffy not a very pleasant memory no matter what state he was in.

**Hermione asks if Ron can see anything, which he denies, saying it's just a black drop.**

"And break your necks cause you're not old enough to know about cushioning charms," Lily muttered.

**Harry waved his arm around and then pointed at himself.**

"You are getting far too noble for your own good," Lily sighed. If she thought it out logically, she was kind of happy Harry went first, because she knew he was safe and sound. If one of his friends had gone first, she might be afraid they would get really hurt, or worse. It still didn't have to make her happy though.

**Harry passes the flute on to Hermione so she can continue playing and then goes around to where Ron is, lowering himself down a bit, before turning to Ron and instructing that if he didn't hear from Harry, to go to the owlery and send an owl to Dumbledore, telling him what was going on.**

All four adults balked at this, Sirius demanding, "you couldn't have thought of that hours ago?"

"It was too late by then," Harry defended, though really he hadn't thought of it until that moment. At their still disbelieving looks, Harry half shouted, "You didn't think of it either."

That cooled them all down.

**Ron agreed, and Harry muttered that he'd see him in a minute then, he hoped.**

Remus snorted slightly, not really wanting to think 'famous last words' but the thought flitted across his mind anyways.

**Then Harry let go and fell through the air before landing with a flump.**

"Better then squish I suppose," Sirius muttered, keeping a protective eye on the Harry reading for any sign of injury he might remember.

**He seemed to have landed on something soft.**

"Soft?" Remus asked, "Why would you go past a three headed dog, down a long drop, just to land on something soft?"

All of them noticed the edge of unease going into Harry's voice as he shrugged before continuing.

**He felt around a bit, though his eyes weren't properly adjusting, and decided he must have landed on a plant.**

"Not good, very not good," Sirius said at once, going slightly bug eyed.

"I'm agreeing with you on that," Harry said, readjusting himself, "I don't like this plant, it-" he broke off in agitation, letting out a huff of frustration before going.

**He called back up to his friends, who were quick to jump down next to him. Ron landed first, noting it was lucky the plant was there, but as Hermione landed she screamed in fear that they should take a look at themselves.**

All four of the graduates were going over every deadly plant they had learned while in school, and the longer this dragged on, the worse it was getting.

**She tried to get to her feet and struggled toward the far wall,**

"Struggled?" James asked weakly.

 **because** **the moment she landed the plant came to life and began trying to wrap itself around her.**

"Devil's Snare," Lily groaned.

"That'll suffocate you unless you light it on fire!" Remus yelped.

"Still not helping," Sirius snapped at them, then he turned to Harry and said, "keep going, I want to see which one of you remembers that."

**Harry and Ron had been still too long, and were now wrapped up tightly.**

"How do you not notice that?" Lily winced in disgust.

**Hermione was quick to recognize what it was, Devil's Snare,**

Lily was genuinely shocked that she knew that, it wasn't a common plant and wouldn't normally be learned until much later in life because of just how dangerous but inconspicuous it looked. She wondered how Hermione had come across this, but couldn't work up the nerve to ask Harry if he even knew.

**and Ron's response was to say that he was so glad that he now knew the name of what was killing him.**

The boys couldn't help it, they all released a weak laugh. All of them could appreciate sarcasm in the face of danger.

**Hermione told them to shut up so she could remember how to kill it, which Harry asked her to hurry up with as he was having problems breathing.**

"While I understand the need for urgency," Lily muttered, suddenly wishing Harry wasn't the one reading so she could clutch his hand again, "when does yelling ever help?"

Harry just gave her an exasperated look.

**All Hermione could seem to remember was that this plant liked living in the dark and damp, and Harry told her to light a fire then.**

"The Bluebell Fire she conjures all the time should work," Remus said swiftly, then winced when James and Sirius glared at him for that interruption.

**Hermione agreed this was a good idea, then wailed that there wasn't any wood!**

"No wood," Sirius said, looking faint, "bloody hell I suppose we should just be grateful she didn't shrink against the wall and freeze up again."

**Ron lost it and shouted at her that she was a bloody witch! Hermione came to her senses and conjured the Bluebell Flame again, which the plant began cringing away from at once. When they were free, Harry praised that it was lucky Hermione payed attention in Herbology.**

"Lucky that girl reads more than any other human," James huffed, Merlin were they only past two obstacles? "Devil's Snare is advanced that is. Easy enough if you have its weakness around, but still a hassle."

**While Ron said it was lucky they didn't lose their heads in a crisis, then repeated back mocking Hermione that there was no wood around.**

"I only hope her freezing doesn't become a habit," Sirius said sadly.

"I hope they don't keep getting into situations where she has to freeze up," Lily snapped.

**Harry convinced them to press on then, and they began heading down a dark passageway. Harry couldn't help but be reminded of the underground of Gingtott's, and then his mind leapt to what would happen if they found a dragon down here.**

"Don't," Sirius said at once, going almost white, "don't you dare say there's a fully grown dragon hanging around down there."

Harry paused for a moment, before shaking his head slowly, no he felt like he wouldn't run into another dragon that soon, before reading.

**He was listening hard, and instead heard something rustling and clinking ahead.**

Sirius shivered, remembering the clankers, this wasn't getting any better.

**They reached the end of the passage and instead saw the chamber was full of jewel bright birds.**

"Not dragons then," Remus said bracingly to Sirius.

"What are they then?" Lily asked, "jewel birds? I've never heard of anything like that."

None of them could think of what they could be, so didn't stop Harry as he read.

**Harry watched them for a moment, but they didn't seem to harmful, so he put his hands above his head and decided to sprint across and try to get to the next door.**

All four of them held their breath slightly through this, not wanting to mention how dangerous that could have been.

**Nothing happened, he reached the opposite side untouched.**

"I'm going to have grey hair by the end of your first year," James said miserably, for some reason hearing his son make it through all of these horrible problems weren't getting easier the more he heard about them.

**Ron and Hermione were quick to join him, but all three pulling together couldn't open the door, not even Hermione with her Alohomora charm.**

"They couldn't have used that spell on Fluffy's door," Lily huffed to herself.

**Harry turned his attention back to the birds, knowing they couldn't just be there for decoration, before he took a closer look at them individually and realized they were keys.**

"Charmed keys, of course," Remus said, rolling his eyes.

**Looking around the rest of the room more properly, he also noticed some brooms off to the side. He realized they would have to catch the key to the door.**

"And they're all going be identical, and you've got to know a seventh year charm to figure out which key goes to the lock," Lily said, not really able to hide the hope in her voice that even Hermione wouldn't know that spell.

**Ron looked from the keys to the door handle and decided that the one they were looking for was probably silver like the door handle.**

"They weren't all the same colour?" Lily asked in disbelief.

"No," Harry said, "they were every colour you could think of, and they all had different wing colours to."

**The three of them went over to brooms and began swooping through the storm of keys, Harry managing to spot the one they were looking for.**

James couldn't help but give a slow clap in applause for his son noticing something like that, the other two Quidditch nuts in agreement.

Lily wanted to smack them all again.

**Harry pointed it out to the others, and Ron went speeding in that direction, nearly crashing into the ceiling in the process.**

Sirius couldn't help the snort that came when he heard that. He was so stressed, any small amount of humour was welcome.

**Harry changed tactics and instead told them to stay where they were, block of the key's path while he chased after it.**

"You're really taking charge of them," James said in surprise.

"I can recall more than one occasion where you gave us the game plan on the spot," Remus told him.

**Harry managed to catch it and quickly went back to the ground, stuffing the key in its whole and letting it fly off again.**

"What if the door locked behind you?" Lily yelped, "you should have kept that key."

Harry shrugged, for some odd reason he had no feelings whatsoever about going back through all of this. He had no idea why that was, perhaps there was another exit where the Stone was being kept?

"How come Quirrell didn't keep it," James pointed out.

"Maybe there's some charm, preventing it from leaving that room," Remus offered. "After all, they weren't traveling along the open passage either."

**They were able to pull that door open now and went through into the next chamber.**

"Anyone want to take a guess?" James offered weakly, his knee bouncing in both fear and anticipation, he couldn't help it. Despite the real danger Harry was walking towards, he and his friends had made it pretty far, farther than anyone would have given them credit for.

When no one answered him, Harry just read on.

**They had come across a humongous board squared off with black and white sections, with huge chess pieces taller than they were stationed in their correct locations.**

"And guess who's the excellent chess player," Remus said in disbelief.

Lily blinked, then blinked again, before whispering, "no way."

"Something wrong Lily?" James asked her.

She pursed her lips for a moment, before shaking her head saying, "Just anxious for this to be over." Privately she was thinking about coincidences, and how she didn't believe in them...

**Harry and Hermione were stunned, but Ron pointed out it was obvious, they had to win the game to get across.**

"Glad that's so obvious," Sirius snorted.

**Then he deduced that they would have to be chess pieces.**

"Be the chessmen," Remus demanded, "you just said they were how big? No offense Harry, but I don't really think just because you take the places of the pieces, you get their ability to break apart the other pieces."

Harry was suddenly looking very nervous, fidgeting all over, and Sirius smacked Remus lightly for worrying the kid. Harry was feeling odd for a different reason though, he wasn't worried about himself. Ron, something to do with Ron here, he huffed and kept going.

"Did you at least try to walk past them," Lily asked with almost a hint at sarcasm, as she knew as well as anyone that wouldn't work.

"Yes," Harry shrugged, "but they blocked us. Don't know why that wouldn't be mentioned."

**Ron walked up to the knight piece and touched the rider's horse, which came to life with a stamp of its hoof and looked expectantly at Ron.**

"They're transfigured then," James sighed, running his hand through his hair.

**Ron quickly came to the decision of what pieces they should be, Harry a bishop and Hermione next to him as a castle,**

"The castle and bishop aren't next to each other," Lily pointed out.

"He meant on the same side of the king, not on opposite ends," Harry smirked.

**and Ron would be a knight.**

"I think he seems to rather be enjoying this too much," Remus said a little weakly.

**The three pieces Ron had indicated walked off the board.**

"Oh good," James said, brightening at Remus' earlier words, "I'm hoping that means the white pieces will just walk off as well."

**They got into position and waited for the white to move first, while Harry couldn't help but fear, what if they lost?**

"Not helping Harry," Lily muttered. She wanted them to lose, to be stuck in this chamber until a teacher came down for them, or preferably Dumbledore.

**The bad part came when Ron sacrificed a piece which the queen demolished, slamming it to the floor as hard as it could, and dragging it off the board.**

"Great," Sirius muttered, trying to stop a shaking feeling beginning in his legs, "just what I wanted to hear."

**Ron was an excellent chess player though, and managed to take as many pieces as he lost, still managing to keep Harry and Hermione out of the game as much as possible.**

"That's got to be the most complicated game of chess ever," James breathed, "having to go the whole game without losing three particular pieces."

**The end of the game came near, and the Queen's piece turned a blank, expectant look on Ron.**

All five of them shuttered at this, not liking that mental image one bit.

**Ron whispered to himself that he would have to let himself be taken.**

"NO!" Harry yelped so loudly, baby Harry began crying again.

Harry shuddered, then apologized, James ignored that and said quickly, "but he's alright yeah? I mean..." he trailed off, Harry looked pretty frightened, and none of them could stand it if Harry's best friend was killed like this.

"I-" Harry began weakly, looking around at all of them miserably, "I want to say yes, but I can't remember and-"

Lily leaned forward, smoothing the hair down on his head for a brief moment, then his hair sprang back up again and Lily forced a smile onto her face saying, "don't push for the memory. Just trust your gut, it's been right so far yeah?"

Harry sucked in a deep breath before he concentrated, not on his pounding head, but exactly where his mother had said. After a moment, Harry opened his eyes again, and they could all see that he had calmed down. He nodded, whispered, "yeah, he's going to be fine," and then read on quickly wanting to get past this, what he felt, was the worst part of the book so far.

**Hermione and Harry tried to protest, but Ron convinced them it was the only way to get forward and keep the Stone safe. It took some persuading, but he did convince them, and then stepped forward to let the queen pounce on him.**

Harry's voice was stuttering worse than he remembered Quirrell's voice, so hoping to distract him and calm him back down Remus asked, "one step? He didn't mean that literally? Knights can only move three paces?"

Harry was instantly distracted, his thoughts breaking away from that horrid mental image of his best friend falling to the ground without getting back up, and answered, "err, yeah when I say he stepped, I meant he stepped two forward, and once to the left. Right into the Queen's sight," he finished in a mutter.

They all exchanged upset looks, but it had worked. Harry was marginally calmer, enough that as he read his voice was intelligible.

**She came forward and knocked Ron to the ground, where he stayed, clearly knocked out.**

Harry was shaking by the end of this, he could have done without that memory being restored, but it was over now, and he trusted his gut. Ron had to be fine, otherwise any permanent injuries he had would be all his fault.

**Harry still took three steps forward to the left,**

"I thought Hermione was the castle," James blurted.

"Three spaces diagonally to the left," Harry corrected himself, feeling out of sorts, and not knowing why the book wouldn't have mentioned that detail.

**and claimed checkmate. Harry and Hermione were free to pass, though they hesitated and continued staring at Ron for a moment longer before Harry comforted the both of them that he would be fine.**

"Did it work then?" Remus asked.

Harry shrugged, he had to believe it then as he had to now, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to live with himself.

**They forced themselves to go on, trying to figure out what could be next as they went down the list of teachers, realizing all that was left was Snape and Quirrell. They reached the next door, and Harry pushed it open.**

"Please be potions," Lily muttered, "I can deal with a potions test." She had remained quiet throughout most of this, fearing she might throw up if she thought to hard about where her son was.

**They came into a room with a troll in it,**

"Another troll?" James said in surprise.

"That must have been Quirrell's thing," Sirius pointed out.

"Well, at least now you have practice taking that out," Remus said brightly.

Lily was frowning, puzzling over it, before saying slowly, "if that troll's been down there since the beginning of the year, and put down there by Quirrell most likely, why on earth wouldn't that troll on Halloween make anyone suspicious of him."

"Furthermore," Remus agreed, going wide eyed at what he realized Lily was saying, "none of them would have found it the least bit off he fainted at it? It's clearly what he put down there, since there's no other subject except potions, and for some reason I don't see Snape doing this."

"I think Dumbledore did know," Harry muttered, speaking without thinking, "he just didn't have any proof, so he put Snape on him to watch him, ouch!" he finished, pressing his hand to his temple.

All four of them gave him upset looks, but Harry came back quickly enough. Blinking and rubbing his temple still, he huffed, "anyways, yeah, I've no idea why he didn't get sacked, cause you guys make an excellent point."

The four of them gave each other agitated looks, but didn't stop Harry as he kept going.

**which was already unconscious.**

"Well that made it easier," Sirius muttered.

**Harry muttered how happy he was they didn't have to deal with that one as well,**

"Yeah, wouldn't want more troll boogies on your wand," James agreed.

**as they finally made it to the last room which seemed the barest of all. It only held a single table, with seven different vials on it.**

"Snape's," Remus sighed, this might not be good.

**The moment they stepped into the room, a purple fire sprang up behind them,**

"Oh," Lily said at once, "that's a really difficult potion you have to make. If you get one thing wrong, you'll be poisoned before you finish swallowing," ignoring the agitated looks the boys were giving her, and she said they freaked her out, she continued, "but it takes weeks to prep that potion correctly. How on earth..." she trailed off when she saw Harry giving her a small smile, then she blushed when she realized she'd done it again.

Almost laughing at the look on his mom's face, Harry kept going, feeling very calm all of a sudden.

**at the same time that a black flame went up in front of them, blocking the next doorway.**

"That's a completely different potion," Lily said, unable to stop herself, "but very similar to the purple flame, only one ingredient is different, so this just got even more difficult."

James snorted, he loved his wife.

**Hermione noticed a slip of paper that held a riddle on it, detailing how to find the correct potions bottles to get through each fire.**

"Oh I get it," Lily said brightly, "the potions are already brewed in the different bottles, and you've got to use logic to figure out which ones. Very clever."

"I'm rather insulted you're so impressed with this," Sirius told her honestly.

Lily sniffed, suddenly wishing she were in the room with Harry then so that she could have a proper look at this riddle herself. If she really wanted to, she might even be able to figure it out right now just from these clues, but she allowed Harry to go on.

**Harry felt stumped, but Hermione exclaimed she could do this. Claiming that a lot of the greatest wizards couldn't because this was purely logic.**

"Sirius," Lily coughed under her breath.

"Aw," Sirius cooed at her, "you just called me one of the greatest wizards."

Lily twisted her face in annoyance at him, while the other three boys laughed at the exchange.

**Harry asked if they'd be stuck as well,**

"Nah," Remus said, the happy feeling gone at once as a knot began forming in this throat when he remembered what was behind that door, he pressed on anyways, "Hermione's the most logical witch at that school. You're in safe hands."

**and Hermione promised she could work it out. After reading over the riddle several more times, she came up with the solution, saying that the smallest bottle was the one that would lead them forward, towards the Stone. Harry looks in it and sees that it is hardly one swallow's worth.**

"Why wouldn't Quirrell have just drank it all?" James asked.

"It probably magically refills itself after you go through," Remus suggested.

**Then Harry asked which would take her backwards.**

"You're sending her back?" Sirius demanded.

"Yes," Harry said stoutly, he didn't regret this decision one bit.

"You think she'll go?" Remus asked, Harry's friends seemed very loyal to him, something they all treasured deeply.

"Oh, she left," Harry said quietly, though he read for them.

**Hermione pointed out the correct bottle, and Harry convinced her that she should go back. Get Ron, and go get a message to Dumbledore, while Harry admitted that he couldn't hold Snape off for long, recognizing he wasn't really a match for him.**

"You recognize this now?" James asked, feeling faint, "after all that?"

Harry shrugged, he really didn't have a plan when he had walked into this, and yeah he had to admit he felt rather lucky to be alive right now.

Instead of letting all of them get a comment in about how stupid he felt right now, he kept reading loudly.

**Hermione pointed out that what if You-Know-Who was in there with them?**

They all shuddered in disgust at the idea of that, while Harry fought off the impulse to agree Hermione wasn't too far off.

**Harry reminded that he'd gotten lucky the first time, while pointing at the lightning scar on his forehead, and hopefully he'd get lucky again.**

"Luck?" Lily muttered, looking faint, "I very much doubt what happened then was luck."

Harry gave her a puzzled look, wondering if his mother might have an idea what did happen that night, but he was too eager to hear about Ron being okay.

**Hermione was getting teary by this point, telling Harry that he was such a good person and that he should be careful as she gave him a hug.**

"You two are adorable," Remus said weakly.

"I almost burst into tears at that little speech," Sirius snickered, he agreed with Hermione, but it made it easier on him if he just picked on his little Harry. It was how he coped.

**Harry told Hermione to drink her potion first, asking if she was positive of which it was?**

"I wouldn't lose faith in her now," James said, he had full confidence in the girl.

**Hermione took her drink and shuddered, saying it felt like drinking ice.**

Lily nodded, she had faith in the girl to, but the description of the correct potion felt reassuring.

**Harry watched her go back through the purple flames before drinking his own and going into the final chamber. What he found inside was not Snape, it wasn't even Voldemort.**

"Well the no Voldemort part was reassuring," Remus muttered as Harry passed him the book.


	18. THE MAN WITH TWO FACES

Remus took a deep, shaky breath, and stalling a bit said, "there's not too much of this left. Your first year should be almost over."

"I sure hope so," Lily muttered, "I can't take too many more heart attacks."

Harry just smiled at them, but warned, "I can tell you now, you're probably not going to like this chapter. I can't remember what all Quirrell says, but I know it made me angry."

"Great," Sirius rolled his eyes, "something else to look forward to."

**The man inside was Professor Quirrell. He greeted Harry very calmly, and stated that he had been wondering whether or not Harry would come down here.**

"He's not stuttering," James asked in surprise.

Harry shook his head sadly, feeling like he should pop himself in the head and saying, "No, he was faking it, I should have remembered that."

**Harry insisted he thought that it had been Snape, and while Quirrell agreed that Snape seemed the type, what with him swooping around the place like a giant bat,**

All three boys couldn't help but snort at this, how many times had they called him that?

**who would suspect the stuttering Professor? Harry insisted that it must have been Snape, he tried to kill him! Quirrell just laughs and says it was he who tried, and would have if Hermione hadn't knocked into him during that Quidditch game.**

Lily muttered something incomprehensible, she felt like an idiot for not noting that when the book had mentioned it.

**Hermione had broken his eye contact that he was using to curse Harry, as well as Snape's who was trying to mutter a countercurse trying to save Harry.**

"Bless my soul," James breathed, looking like someone had just punched him in the gut.

"You've got to be joking," Sirius demanded.

Remus was just sitting there, staring blankly down at the page.

Then Lily suddenly let out a whoop of joy, saying smugly, "You see, I told you he..." then she trailed off, looking suddenly confused as the others.

"If Snape was trying to save you, if he didn't hate you like we thought he hated James, then what was all that crap all year?" Sirius demanded.

"Oh he hates me," Harry disagreed, "but not enough to want me dead."

"That, actually made me feel better," James said, blinking spastically in surprise.

"I can hardly believe it," Remus agreed.

Sirius snorted, but even he couldn't think of anything to say just then. Severus Snape had actually tried to save Harry Potter's life? What was this world coming to?

Lily looked like she was about to start crying all over again, but they were tears of joy this time.

Shaking off the last visages of shock he had, Remus now read on quickly.

**Harry was still in shock as Quirrell laughed at the absurdity of anyone trying to save Harry, when Quirrell was going to kill him now.**

They had all listened to this revelation in stunned silence, but at this last sentence any happy feelings were tossed out of the room, to be replaced by protective anger.

"You throw one curse at him, and no cell in Azkaban will stop me killing you," Sirius vowed.

"That's being kind," James snorted, a manic look gleaming in his eyes, "I can think of much worse things to do to him rather than killing."

"Sign me up for that," Remus and Lily agreed.

**Quirrell snapped his fingers, and ropes sprang up out of nowhere and tied themselves around Harry.**

"Dammit," Lily snarled, "he's actually competent?"

"That's beyond a normal magical level," Remus said, voice edging into panic. "Wandless magic like that, the only wizard I can think of with that kind of ability is Dumbledore."

"Or Dumbledore's opposite," James breathed.

Sirius whipped his head around and looked at James like he'd grown a second head. "What do you mean by that? Harry would have noticed if Voldemort was there."

Harry groaned suddenly, pressing a fist to his temple, but quickly shook it off, sitting back up and saying, "I think he is there, but I can't remember, he's hiding or someone," he trailed off again, losing colour by the second.

"That's enough Harry," James said at once, then he turned to Remus and said, "keep reading, it should explain soon."

**Harry was still trying to process this, demanding to know if it had been Quirrell who had let the troll in on Halloween. He admitted he had, stating he had a gift with trolls,**

"Is it because you act like them," James grumbled.

**and that he had let it in so that he could get a proper look at what had been guarding the Stone. Sadly that hadn't worked out, nor had the troll killed Harry, and the dog hadn't even managed to tear Snape's leg off.**

"We're all so sorry for your failed plan," Remus hissed. He didn’t particularly like the mental image of Fluffy attacking Snape in particular, it brought back too many nightmares of him once doing the same.

**Then he told Harry to stop asking questions so that he could have a proper look at this mirror.**

"Mirror?" They all asked in surprise.

Remus didn't bother to think on it, but kept going.

**Only then did Harry look around and find the Mirror of Erised in the same room with them.**

"Dumbledore put something up to," James repeated from, looking confused. "Is this what Hagrid meant?"

"I don't get it," Sirius said, "the mirror shows your deepest desire. So anyone whose deepest desire was the Stone could look into it, and what, find out where it's really hidden?"

Remus snorted, saying, "I hope so. That means that it's actually hidden somewhere else, and then Quirrell will have to go off and find it there."

"All that set up, and it was never even down there," Lily rolled her eyes, still a little irked at the whole situation.

**Harry set his mind then, determined to keep Quirrell talking and keep his concentration off of that mirror.**

"I'd rather you do the opposite," Lily huffed, "let him find the Stone and walk away. He might forget you're there."

"Then I'll have come all this way for nothing?" Harry said in surprise.

"We'd rather you didn't come all that way at all," Remus sighed.

"But boy are we impressed you did," James added on at Harry's rather hurt look.

**He said the first thing that came to mind, which was that he'd seen Quirrell and Snape in the forest. Quirrell admitted that Snape had been on to him by this time, wanting to know how far he'd gotten.**

"Which reminds me," Sirius said, "what did Snape mean by Hocus Pocus? Quirrell's wasn't an anti-defence spell."

"I've no idea," Harry said honestly, feeling that no one had ever explained that one to him.

**Snape had tried to frighten the information out of Quirrell, which he wasn't able to do, because he had Voldemort on his side.**

"I'll give him that," Remus sighed, "even Snape isn't as scary as him."

"I'm just impressed this nit called him Voldemort," Sirius said in mild shock. "Normally his followers call him the Dark Lord, that was pretty bold of him."

"Maybe he's just preening cause he thinks he's about to win," James shrugged, still not really interested in whatever this loon had to say so long as he stayed away from his son.

**Quirrell turned his attention back to the mirror then, claiming he could see himself in it, presenting the Stone, presenting it to his master, but he still had no idea where it was.**

"Well that's as tricky as it gets," James laughed. "His deepest desire is to give it to Voldemort. So long as that's true, he'll never find its real hiding place."

"Ingenious when you think about it," Sirius agreed, "because your deepest desire would be what you actually do with the Stone. Not the actual Stone, therefore its location."

"Only Dumbledore," Remus said in happy exasperation.

**Harry was still talking, bringing up that he thought Snape hated him, which Quirrell agreed that this was true. Snape had known Harry's father in school, and they hated each other, but that didn't mean Snape wanted Harry dead.**

"I'll take that," James said with a weak smile.

**Harry reminded that he had heard Quirrell sobbing in an empty classroom, and that finally broke into Quirrell's calm. He looked almost frightened now as he admitted that it was hard for him to always do what his master wanted, and Harry blurted out that Voldemort had been in the classroom with him!**

"No way!" All four of adults said at once.

"It's not possible," Remus added on, "Dumbledore was still at the school at the time, Voldemort could never get in."

Lily and James shivered in disgust at the very idea Harry was that close to such a lunatic.

**Quirrell didn't seem phased by the question, saying that Voldemort was everywhere he was. How he'd met him while out traveling, how he'd been younger then, with foolish ideas about how good and evil worked.**

Sirius groaned, saying, "do we really have to hear the ravings of Death Eater lunatics? I got more than enough of that at my parent's place."

"Sorry Sirius," Remus said, and he sounded like he really meant it. "I'm not skipping."

**Voldemort had showed him a different way though, and Quirrell had served him ever since. However when he did let his master down, Voldemort would punish him severely.**

"Hope it hurt," James muttered, any kind of pain he more than deserved for what he had tried to do to his son.

**He had punished Quirrell quite harshly by deciding to keep a closer eye on him, when Quirrell had failed to steal the Stone from Gringotts. Harry felt like an idiot then, remembering now how he'd seen Quirrell that day in Diagon Alley.**

"Yes, but I would have never thought anything of it," Lily sighed, "teachers come and go there as much as anyone else."

"Though I do hope he explains how he broke into Gringotts," Remus scowled, "as that is supposed to be impossible."

"Don't hold your breath," Sirius muttered, "probably some Dark Magic, or maybe a bribe to one of the Goblins told him it had been removed or something."

**Quirrell then turns his attention back to the mirror, and curses that he still doesn't understand what to do, should he break it?**

"I feel like that wouldn't actually work," James said, a small smile gracing his features.

"But please, do try," Remus said happily, "that way the Stone will be lost forever."

**Harry felt his mind flying, as he realized something. What he wanted most in that moment,**

"At the moment?" Lily asked, "I don't think you get to pick your deepest desire. It's simply what it is."

"Maybe," Remus said slowly, "well, it is called the Mirror of Desire. Perhaps you can, in a sense, simply see what you desire at will. Dumbledore was the one that said it had to be your deepest."

"Dumbledore," James said the name like he'd never heard such a thing in his life.

"Alright James?" Sirius asked.

"Dumbledore showed Harry how to use the mirror," he said, running his hand through his hair in agitation, "and the last thing he said, next time you see it you'll know how to use it." He shook his head, he didn't believe in coincidences. Not one bit. "It's almost like he knew Harry-" but then he cut himself ,off, looking about the room like he expected someone to tell him he was being daft.

Instead, they were looking at him like he had just made absolute sense, and they looked furious.

"Are you telling me," Lily said slowly, "that Dumbledore intended for Harry to do this?" She had been thinking this same thing a little earlier, but had hardly been able to fully form the thought, it was just too horrible to consider!

"Not possible," Remus said, though his tone wasn't very believable. After all, if the Headmaster could be fooled by an idiot like Quirrell, what else could he be up to?

"But there's too much of a coincidence," Lily said, beginning to name the tasks out loud. "Hagrid giving Harry a musical instrument for Christmas, Dumbledore surely knew Harry and Hagrid were friends, could he have suggested a gift like that? The flying key room, testing his skills as a Seeker? The chess room, where one of his good friends could test his skills? I'll give you the rest are questionable, but the others just line up to well. To be perfectly honest considering the magic those teachers are capable of, I'd almost say it was easy!"

Sirius was looking about the room like he expected someone to say 'got ya' any second. When no one did he finally said, "I'll agree with you Lily," she turned to face him, because his tone didn't really match what he said, which made sense when he continued on, "but I think you're still a little sore at him for leaving him at the Dursley's. I am too, don't get me wrong on that, but come on. The man's had nothing to do with Harry's life since he dropped him off there. What possible reason could he have for 'testing' him and his friends?"

Remus sighed, rubbing his temple, before glancing over at Harry and asking, "Got any input?"

Harry shrugged, saying blankly, "I, yeah I feel like Mum might be right, but I kind of agree with Sirius, I don't know."

The momentary shock and thrill at Harry actually referring to her as his mother, out loud like that, actually did distract her enough that she really did decide she could let this matter go for now.

Remus nodded, and by now he had come to the conclusion Harry's first instinct was usually right. Still, with nothing to do in the meantime while they all pondered this, he kept reading.

**was to get the Stone before Quirrell did. He knew that if he saw himself in front of the mirror now, he could find the Stone first, but how could he do it without Quirrell realizing what he was doing? Quirrell was continuing to speak aloud, admitting he didn't know what to do, and asked his Master for help.**

"Great, the nutter talks to himself now," Sirius said absently, all of them who weren't reading were still only half listening, still stuck on the oddity that was their old headmaster.

**Then a voice came from seemingly nowhere, whispering to use Harry.**

"What?" James yelped, coming out of it first.

"Remus, read that again," Lily said, eyes almost falling out of her head she was so wide eyed.

Remus complied, and they all sat there like stunned fish for a moment.

"How could that have happened?" Harry asked, rather concerned by this reaction.

"I've no idea," James said.

"And that's why it's so bad," Sirius agreed.

"And if none of us knows how to do that," Remus muttered, "then this clearly isn't anything good."

"My question," Lily said, ignoring how high pitched her voice is, "was who said that?"

Remus glanced back down at the page with ice cold fear, forcing himself to read.

**Quirrell dutifully turned his attention on Harry and told him to come stand in front of the mirror. Harry did as told, and looked upon his reflection, which smiled back at him.**

"Did that happen before when you saw us?" James asked, not really curious to know the answer, just trying to keep himself in the here and now so he didn't freak out that Harry was now in such immediate danger.

"No," Harry answered honestly.

**As he watched, his reflection self-put his hand in his pocket and came out with a ruby red Stone. Then he winked and put it back, and as he did so, Harry felt a weight fall into his own real pocket.**

"You're joking," Sirius groaned, "please tell me that was a really awful joke in which Harry now has the thing that lunatic wants, in his pocket."

Remus didn't even glance up at him, but shook his head swiftly from side to side as an answer before blasting on.

**Harry now had the Philosopher's Stone.**

"But how," Lily couldn't help but blurt out.

"Really, scary, over the top magic," James grumbled, only having a few vague ideas himself.

**Quirrell demanded to know what Harry saw, and he quickly lies as he says that he sees himself winning the House Cup for Gryffindor.**

Sirius couldn't help it, he snorted in amusement, saying, "Come on, you could lie better than that."

"I was under a lot of pressure," he defended, mentally adding he had no desire to share what his real deepest desire was with that man.

**Quirrell pushed him out of the way again, and Harry considers whether he dare make a run for it.**

"Yes, please dare to," Remus said fervently.

**Then the voice returned, again from nowhere,**

"Dammit," Sirius groaned, this Dark Magic, whatever it was doing this, just kept getting worse and worse.

**saying that Harry was lying.**

"How, what-" Lily spluttered.

"I don't know, and I won't if you keep asking me that," Remus snapped at her.

At Lily's hurt look, he said, "Sorry, we're all a bit on edge."

Lily nodded, accepting the apology.

**Quirrell rounded back on Harry and demanded to know what Harry saw. Then the voice requested that it wanted to speak to Harry, face to face.**

"Don't want that. Absolutely the last thing I will ever want," James was muttering.

All four of them couldn't get the idea out of their head, Harry was in the same room as Voldemort! It was impossible, but...

**Quirrell turned on the spot and began unwinding his turban,**

Harry knew, instinctively somehow, he did not like what Remus was about to say next, if the reaction to feeling like screaming meant anything.

**and sticking out of the back of Quirrell's head was a face,**

"A face?" James said faintly.

"Out of the back of..." Lily whispered.

"I'm going to be sick." Sirius groaned, and the green colouring made it seem like he wasn't kidding about that.

"He, what, merged bodies with..." Remus tried to say, trailing off in confusion or horror they didn't know.

"That's not, he's not even-" Lily stuttered.

"Explains the magic beyond Quirrell's level," Sirius muttered bitterly. He felt itchy all over, like he needed a hot bath just from hearing about this.

"It gets weirder as you go on," Harry said, rubbing his temple again in agitation. His scar wasn't hurting him now, but he seemed to know that it was about to start hurting soon.

Remus wouldn't have believed that, until his twenty year old cub fell into the kitchen yesterday. While the baby he knew and loved sat in Sirius' lap.

**that was the palest of whites with dark red eyes and snake like nostrils.**

"There's a nightmare I'll never forget," James said in disgust, he really wanted to go wash himself in pure soap.

**The face looked on at Harry, whispering that this was what he'd been reduced to, only a vapour,**

"I might be fascinated if that wasn't the most twisted, darkest thing I've ever heard in my life," Remus said in disgust.

**that he only really had form when he shared another person's body,**

"Great," Lily snapped scornfully, "so our plan should be that no one ever wears something that covers up their head, ever again."

**but he has always found someone willing and able to share. How he's always convinced people to drink unicorn blood, like Quirrell had been doing that night in the forest.**

"I am going to be sick," Sirius vowed.

**Once he found the Stone, he wouldn't even need that, all Harry had to do was hand it over.**

"Run," they all whispered, that thought the only thing any of them could really focus on anymore.

**Harry tried to run then, and the face merely cackled, saying that Harry may as well save his life and join Voldemort, or he'd go the same way as his parents, begging for their life.**

"LIAR!" Remus and Sirius snarled, angrier than they had been yet.

Harry could feel blood pounding in his ears, this was the part he had been remembering, he hated listening to someone say anything about his parents, but he also feared that the pain would be coming soon.

**Harry shouted that this was a lie!**

His parents beamed at him, pleased to know that if Harry knew anything about them, it was this one truth.

**Quirrell had been turning on the spot to make sure Harry stayed in the faces line of sight.**

"I might laugh if that wasn't the most disturbing sentence I've ever heard in my life," James said faintly.

**Voldemort seemed to be enjoying himself now as he taunted Harry, saying that he had he had killed his father first,**

Remus voice almost stuttered out, he really didn't want to be the one to read this.

Then James surprised them all by puffing out his chest and saying, "I'm not surprised one bit. He'd have to kill me to get to you two."

Lily's lower lip was quivering, while she didn't appreciate that statement one bit, she wasn't about to argue it either.

"Do you want me to read?" Harry offered, when it seemed Remus might pass out.

"No," he said, bolstering his courage. If James and Lily could hear this without crying over it, he could certainly read it.

**how he had tried to fight him off while his mother made a run for it, but she shouldn't have died, she was just protecting Harry.**

"Of course I did," she hissed, her wand appearing in her hand, looking ready to curse the world any second now to protect her family.

**Then he told Harry to give him the Stone, unless Harry wanted to die for nothing. Harry shouted back he never would.**

"And we don't blame you one bit," Lily whispered to him.

Harry smiled around at his parents, never having been more proud to be their son then in this moment.

"Hoping that bastards done now," Sirius muttered in disgust, hearing that had been almost as bad as hearing they were dead the first time.

**Harry ran back towards the door which was still on fire,**

"The potion would have worn off," Lily yelped in concern.

"Would you rather he stayed in there with them? Him? How would you even..." Sirius began hotly, but faded off into mutters at the end.

Harry couldn't help but burst out laughing at him, which calmed them all down.

Since Harry was alive and laughing, and didn't have black burns all over his body from that fire, Remus read on with only medium anxiety.

**but then Voldemort yelled at Quirrell to catch him.**

Which immediately flew up to the highest level of anxiety it could get. Harry may be fine now, but how much had Voldemort/ Quirrell hurt him before Harry gave up the Stone?

Blinking the red vision out of his eyes, Remus quickly read.

**Harry felt something catch his wrist,**

"He's dead." Sirius spat, looking quite deranged at hearing anyone put their hand on his godson. "I don't care where he is right now, he is dying."

"Not going to stop you," the others agreed, privately thinking they would all help.

**and the moment that happened he could feel the sharp pain returning across his scar,**

Harry winced, putting his hand to his scar again, there was the pain he had been remembering.

**it made his head feel like it was being cleaved open,**

"Why?" Lily yelped, pushing Harry's hand out of the way so she could look him in the face, "what spell was he doing to cause that to happen to you?"

"It wasn't a spell," Harry muttered, frustrated that he couldn't remember why this was happening, even though it felt really important.

"Keep going Remus," James said evenly, he wanted to get past this part already.

**and Harry tried to pull away, and to his astonishment, Quirrell did let go.**

"Who'd have thought yelling and struggling would actually work," Sirius said to himself, pleased beyond measure it had.

**The pain began to dull enough that he could look around and spot Quirrell who was kneeling and looking down in surprise at his hand, which was blistering.**

"I've never heard of anything like that," Remus whispered.

"Why can't he touch me?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Don't question it, run for it," James said quickly.

Remus pushed the thought aside for now so he could read on.

**Voldemort was still yelling to catch Harry, and Quirrell still obeyed, getting to his feet only to knock Harry on his back and straddle him, wrapping both burnt hands around his neck.**

"Remus!" Harry yelped in shock as the book actually split down the spin as Remus ripped it.

He didn't look very sorry, looking at the remnants of the pages in his hand like they themselves were Quirrell's skull.

Lily waved her wand, and the book flew back into his grasp, completely repaired, then she snapped at him, "What did I tell you-"

"You told Sirius he couldn't ruin the book. You didn't say anything to me," he pointed out.

"Wohoo, loophole," Sirius cackled, slapping a high five with his friend.

All four adults were still breathing more rapidly than normal, the mental image of Harry being pinned to the ground and strangled one that would leave a scar on them for the rest of their life they were sure, but the distraction had done its job.

Harry was again laughing along at these antics, safe and sound right here with them. Sirius cuddled the baby closer to him, and both of Harry's parents leaned in to their son as Remus forced himself to go on.

**The pain in his scar returned, so horrible it nearly blocked everything else out, like Quirrell shouting that his hands hurt, and he couldn't hold him,**

"Hope you can't heal that," Lily said nastily.

**and Voldemort snapped that he should just kill him already, and so Quirrell pulled out a wand and was fixing to do just that,**

Remus couldn't help but stutter over those lines, but one glance up at the black haired youth squished between his parents and he was able to finish.

**but then Harry lunged forward and pressed his hands against Quirrell's face, causing a scream of pain.**

"Who was screaming, you or him?" Sirius asked.

"Both of us?" Harry muttered, still rubbing his scar.

"You're rubbing that an awful lot," James frowned.

"I just remember the pain, really, really well. That's something I wouldn't like to have had back."

His parents smiled sadly down at him, but no one could really think of anything to say to that.

**Quirrell got off of him and stumbled around, moaning about his now burnt face and hands, and Harry realized that Quirrell couldn't touch him without being burnt, so Harry decided he could work with that.**

"Hopefully die from pain overdose," Sirius said in a chipper tone, then added on, "though that would kill my fun."

Remus' mouth twitched at that, but Sirius seemed so sincere, he decided not to ruin that comment by pointing out that this act was clearly hurting Harry as well. It wasn't hurting him now though, which gave him the strength to read.

**Harry ran forward and caught hold of Quirrell's face again, hanging on for dear life as Quirrell was screaming in pain, and Harry was screaming through the pain of his scar, and Voldemort was screaming that he had to die, and someone else screaming his name...**

"Oh I doubt that," James breathed.

"Help arrived, maybe Ron and Hermione," Lily offered, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

**He felt his grip being torn away from Quirrell,**

"Bloody hell," Sirius groaned, that wasn't a good sign, was it possible other Death Eaters had arrived?

**and then Harry blacked out.**

"Jeez, if you had actually stopped there-" James began, then broke off his own sentence, not even wanting to say any of those next words.

"It's okay," Harry said into the awkward silence. "I'm alright then. Nothing else happens for the rest of this year." Except going back to the Dursley's he privately added.

"Well I should hope not," Lily yelped, "isn't five deadly situations more than enough for all seven years at school!"

Harry gave her a sheepish expression, but didn't seem like he was going to answer.

Remus didn't give him the chance.

**There was something gold above him, and his mind went to a Snitch. He wanted to grab it, but his arm felt weighted.**

"Are you dreaming again?" Lily asked.

Harry shook his head no, smiling now. His scar, he remembered, didn't hurt anymore. The opposite in fact, he felt quite content and happy, if a bit drowsy.

**He blinked a few more times and found it wasn't a Snitch, but glasses.**

"Strange indeed," Remus said, rubbing his jaw, more grateful than anything that whole ordeal seemed to be over.

"Who wears golden glasses?" Sirius asked redundantly since he knew Remus was fixing to read.

**After blinking once more, the face of Albus Dumbledore swam into view.**

"Oh," they all muttered in annoyance. None of them had really decided on their feelings about him just yet, this book was certainly implying a lot of bad stuff about him.

**Harry tried to begin explaining at once, that Quirrell was after the Stone,**

"Right to the point then," James said, frowning slightly. He really would hate it if Quirrell had gotten the Stone after all of that hard work his son did.

**but Dumbledore was quick to calm him, saying that Quirrell didn't have it.**

"I will admit, that's a relief," Sirius sighed.

**Harry was still wound up, demanding to know who did have it then, and Dumbledore tried to relax him once more, saying he had to calm down or Madam Pomfrey would kick him out.**

"That she will," Remus actually chuckled, amazed he could feel alright again after that awful last scene.

**Harry forced himself to settle and look around properly, finding himself in the hospital wing. On his bedside table was a mountain's worth of candy.**

"How come you guys never gave me that much candy when I was in there?" Remus demanded, unable to hide his smile.

James snorted, saying, "Please, if we gave you candy every time you wound up there, we'd put every candy shop in the country out of business."

"You're only encouraging him," Lily reminded, "since buying that much would in fact be good for their business."

"Fine, then all of our teeth would simultaneously rot out," Sirius grinned.

"Never stopped you trying before," Remus smirked, but then he finally admitted he had let the joke drag on too long so quickly kept reading before anyone else could throw something out.

**Dumbledore noticed Harry's stares, saying that these were tokens of gratification from his friends and admirers. What had happened below the castle was supposed to be a complete secret, so naturally, the whole school knew.**

"Sounds about right," Sirius laughed.

"Really though," Lily asked, "what did the school know about that?"

Harry shrugged, answering, "I honestly have no idea. I never wanted to ask anyone."

**He even mentioned that Fred and George had tried to send Harry a toilet seat.**

They couldn't help it, all five of them cracked up laughing at that. It seemed a lifetime ago they were reading about Mrs. Weasley scolding her boys on the platform.

**Sadly though, Madam Pomfrey had taken it away, claiming it wasn't hygienic.**

"Killjoy," James sighed.

**Harry asked how long he'd been out for, and Dumbledore replied three days.**

"Three days," Lily moaned.

"If it makes you feel any better," Harry said, "that's the longest I'll ever be in the hospital wing." Then he frowned and rubbed his temple, annoyed at this random habit of his gut speaking, and his brain paying for it.

Lily looked like she dearly wanted to ask why Harry had wound up in there any other time, but felt it wasn't worth it right this moment.

**He concluded that Ron and Hermione were going to be very relieved to hear Harry had awoken, but Harry went back to asking about the Stone then.**

"One track mind eh?" Remus chuckled, honestly curious what had happened to it as well. His cub sure went through an awful lot of trouble to keep it safe, he did deserve to know.

**Dumbledore admitted that he had arrived just in time to separate Harry from Quirrell, and Harry asked if he'd received Hermione's owl. Dumbledore says that he must have just missed it, as he'd arrived in London only to realize what was going on. He turned around at once to get rid of Quirrell.**

"Okay, I'm not mad at Dumbledore any more," James sighed, he clearly had come at a time when Harry needed him, which was the most important thing to him.

"Remembered why Dumbledore was supposed to be gone so long yet?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded brightly and said, "Oh yeah, it's because he said he flew. When he got to the ministry though, he apperated back. I don't know how he flew, he didn't say," he trailed off with a shrug, having remembered asking him this shortly before he headed to the boats at the end of the year.

"Might have used a Thestral, like Hagrid at the beginning of the year," Lily speculated.

"We never even proved that's how Hagrid did it," Remus pointed out.

"Why would he fly anyways?" Sirius demanded, "Hagrid I can understand, but Dumbledore has every means at his disposal-"*

"Sirius," James broke him off, "let it go. We're not going to find that out."

Sirius huffed, but did indeed let the matter drop.

**Dumbledore admitted that he feared he had almost been too late, and Harry begins to agree saying he couldn't have kept the Stone safe much longer, but Dumbledore corrects saying he thought he'd almost been too late to save Harry who had nearly died in trying to hold off Quirrell.**

Remus shuddered in disgust. How many times was he going to have to read that?

"I guessed as much, from the way Harry was passing out," James murmured to himself, the only reason he had been able to hold himself together was because of his living son at his side now.

"Then yeah, I guess I forgive him to," the other three agreed.

**Then he said that the Stone was destroyed.**

"Destroyed?" Sirius said blankly, "after all that, he went and blew it up."

James snorted, asking, "Why do you assume the only way to destroy something is to blow it up?"

"That's just what came out okay, I didn't mean it literally," Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Harry was astonished, asking what would happen to Nicolas Flamel, and Dumbledore seemed pleased that Harry had done this thing right.**

"The thing," Lily said at once, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I think I might reconsider my forgiveness."

"Now Lily," James began, but then she looked at him, and James quickly redirected, "keep going Remus."

**Then he explained that Nicholas and his wife had set their affairs in order, and then they would indeed die.**

"To be honest, I don't think I'd want to live that long anyways," Sirius said, "be bloody depressing outliving everyone you know by a couple hundred years."

**Harry simply sat there, staring for some time. Dumbledore tried to explain that death was merely a new adventure. The Stone really wasn't such a good thing, as it gave man everything he would have wanted, but then again, man usually had a knack for wanting exactly what was the worst thing for them.**

"Nutter, I swear," James snorted.

**Harry started to ask that if the Stone was gone, then how would You-Know-Who, but Dumbledore corrected him and told him to call him Voldemort, that fear of a name will only increase his fear of the thing itself.**

"Glad Dumbledore taught you that," James said proudly.

**Harry corrected himself by asking if Voldemort could somehow find a way to still come back.**

"I'm not even going to ask if he said 'yes, of course,'" Lily sighed, pressing her face into her hands in preparation for this answer.

**Dumbledore agreed that he is still out there, biding his time, perhaps looking for another body to share,**

"Well, then Lily's thing about having to show your full head should at least be applied to all future teachers," James muttered, still forcing down a shiver of disgust.

**but since he wasn't really alive, he couldn't really die. He left Quirrell to die,**

"Deserves it," Remus said without any remorse. None of them disagreed.

**which only showed he cared as little for his followers as he did his enemies.**

"You would think his followers would realize this," Sirius pointed out.

"Nah, they're too dumb to work for themselves, they need someone telling them what to do," James snickered.

**Harry had only delayed his return, but if people kept on delaying forever, then perhaps he would never truly return.**

"Let that be as true as it ever gets," Lily vowed, personally thinking about starting up a new Department just for this job alone if it kept Voldemort out of their lives for good.

**Harry wanted to ask another question, and Dumbledore said he would try and answer if he could, but said he may not, but promised not to lie.**

"Again," Sirius snorted, thinking back to the mirror.

**Harry began by saying that Voldemort had killed his mother because she had tried to stop him from killing Harry,**

"Which I would do every single time forever," Lily growled, a glint of something in her eyes none of the boys had seen before this day.

**but why had Voldemort gone after Harry's family in the first place?**

"Yes," James said eagerly, he had been wanting to know this since the first chapter!

**Dumbledore said that this was one of those questions he couldn't answer.**

"Why the bloody hell not," Sirius groaned.

"Cause I was too young," Harry said sadly.

"Was?" James asked, eyeing him hopefully, "are you saying he does tell you then?"

"I," he hesitated for a moment, then accepting the pain that was coming he spoke with his gut, "yeah, I think he does." The pain flowed through him, and he brushed it off as soon as he could, allowing Remus to go on.

**That Harry was too young, but perhaps when he was older, then he'd tell him.**

"I'm pretty sure we all hate to hear that right now," Lily muttered.

**Feeling disgruntled, Harry decided to move on to another question, why hadn't Quirrell been able to touch him?**

"Yeah," James sighed, "I hope he bleeding answers that question."

**Dumbledore happily answered that one, saying that when Harry's mother died for him, it left a mark of protection. Not anything visible, but something he would carry with him forever.**

The longer Remus kept reading, the more curious his tone became. This was something he'd never heard of, and he still loved learning new things.

**Quirrell, having shared a soul with Voldemort, could not touch Harry, because the mark that was left on Harry, something so truly good, meant someone like Quirrell could not touch Harry without feeling great pain.**

Lily hadn't realized she was crying until she blinked, a tear traced her cheek down her face. Then she saw that Harry was smiling at her, and she whispered, happier then she could ever remember being, "so I saved you?"

Harry nodded, unable to speak himself.

The three boys exchanged happy smiles, all thinking that if they had to die, at least they had left Harry with this small precious gift. Their love and protection over him, even if they couldn't be there in person to deliver it. Each of them had questions of how this had really worked, as surely Lily wasn't the first mother to die for her child, but they decided to wait until much later to question the actual act of that magic.

**Harry sat and thought about this for some time before moving on to another question, and asked if Dumbledore knew who had sent him his invisibility cloak?**

"Just out of curiosity, though I'd really like to know the answer myself, why on earth would you think he'd know that?" Remus asked. "It's not like you knew then what you know now."

"He's the headmaster of the school," Harry tried to explain, "I thought he would know everything that goes on there, I don't know, I didn't even have anyone else to ask really."

"Fair enough," he agreed, albeit sadly.

**Dumbledore said that his father had left it in his possession,**

"I did what?" James balked.

"So we were right," Sirius said slowly, "sometime in the next year, the Order must find out about it, and everyone starts using it. Or Dumbledore could mean him specifically, in which case," he trailed off.

"Why would he need it?" Lily asked what they were all thinking, "he's already said that he can be invisible without it?"

"Well maybe he couldn't," Remus offered, "there could be a million reasons why he couldn't have turned himself invisible, and he needed an untraceable way."

"Well, remind me never to offer it up anyways," James sniffed, privately thinking that he didn't care what the bloody Order needed it for, his family was going to need it more all too soon.

**but Dumbledore decided that it belonged in Harry's hands. His father had made good use of it by sneaking around the castle, stealing food from the kitchens.**

"Can't deny that," Sirius chuckled.

**Harry began to ask about Snape, but then Dumbledore corrected him it was Professor Snape.**

"Ah no," Remus interrupted himself, "if Harry actually ever calls him that, and means it mind you, I'll eat a quaffle."

All of the boys laughed, while Lily simply rolled her eyes indulgently.

**Harry just said, yes him,**

"Best answer you could have given," Sirius snickered.

**and how Quirrell had said something about how his father had hated him, and was that true?**

"Yes, and no," Lily said sadly, "but since you already know that complicated answer," she trailed off, eyeing Remus expectantly, who took the hint.

**Dumbledore agreed that they did detest each other, but then his father had done something Snape couldn't forgive, he saved Snape's life.**

"What?" Harry yelped.

Remus couldn't help but burst out laughing, and without looking up read.

**Harry exclaimed what!?**

Harry ignored this, still eyeing his father.

The three boys exchanged rather uneasy looks, that was a rather nasty tail for all parties involved, so James said slowly, "well, you see, ah-"

Then Sirius cut in quickly, "Let's start with, it was my fault, end with the bugger didn't actually die, and we can fill in the middle bit later, yeah?"

Harry nodded grudgingly, very curious to hear this.

"Maybe Dumbledore will tell you now," Lily offered, though none of them really expected him to give Harry the full story.

**Dumbledore explained that Snape hated being in his father's debt, and that he'd done so much this year to protect Harry because he felt it would make them even.**

"Well," James said, looking like he'd just swallowed a lemon he spat out, "okay fine. Yeah, call us even. But anything he does to you over the next six years is fair game for me to hate him again."

Lily snorted, but none of them could disagree.

**Now he could go on hating Harry's father in peace.**

"And I'm sure he did," Sirius said in a false happy voice.

**Harry tried to understand this but it made his head hurt.**

"That was a bombshell out of nowhere," he explained to the kind of confused looks.

**Then Harry asked how the Stone got out of the mirror.**

"I think we've kind of worked that out," Remus said.

"But I'd like to hear him explain it anyways," Sirius said in a stuffy tone, "so no cutting out."

Remus gave him the stank eye before reading.

**Dumbledore beamed as he said he felt that was one of his more brilliant ideas, which was saying something,**

James couldn't help but snort with mirth at that.

**and explained that only someone who wanted to find the Stone without using it could get it out of the mirror.**

"Yeah," Remus nodded, "about what I worked out."

"Know it all," James snickered, while Remus stuck his tongue out at him.

"But Quirrell didn't technically want to use it," Lily pointed out with a ruffled brow. "So shouldn't that still count?"

"But Voldemort did," Sirius reminded with a renewed shudder of disgust at the thought, "and I think that's what made it count. If Quirrell had just been down there on his own, then _maybe_ he would have gotten it on a technicality. It all depends on how liberal the mirror was with the spell, if Quirrell's intentions to give it to someone who would use it still nullified him."

"You scare me when you get all logical like that," Lily smirked back without argument.

**Dumbledore then turned his attention to Harry's candy and exclaims when he finds a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He says he'd come across a vomit flavoured one once,**

"Blech," Sirius retched, the nausea he had been feeling had died down, but he didn't appreciate the reminder.

**but decided he'd try one again with a toffee colored one.**

"Never assume what flavour it is by the colour," James said wisely, "otherwise chocolate flavoured can look like bark."

**He chewed on the bean for a moment before gagging and saying it had been ear wax.**

"My point," he laughed.

**The narrative returned, explaining that Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was a nice woman, but very strict.**

"You can say that again," Remus nodded in agreement.

**Time had clearly passed, and Harry was now trying to convince her to let his friends in now that Dumbledore had gone, and she had let him in.**

"Another benefit of the cloak," Sirius snorted, "we never asked for permission to go in there."

"You never asked for permission to go anywhere," Lily reminded.

**She said she had because that was the headmaster, but Harry still needed his rest.**

"She thinks resting will cure every disease in the world," Remus muttered.

**Harry promised he wouldn't get out, just please let them in, and she did.**

"Poor kids, not being allowed to go in and see him," Lily sighed, then perked up at once saying, "Oh, Ron's okay. Poor thing, I've forgotten all about him."

"Well, since Harry didn't wake up and find him in the Hospital with him, I'm sure he wasn't too badly hurt," Sirius said brightly.

**Hermione ran in, looking ready to fling another hug on Harry, but she held back to which Harry was grateful for, as he was still feeling rather sore.**

All four adults again exchanged superior looks, they had a feeling Hermione liked hugging Harry a little more than as a friend, but as Harry had shown no reaction to this, since he only had eleven year old memories it wasn't too surprising, they said nothing.

**Hermione exclaimed how worried they were, while Ron wanted to know what had happened. Harry filled them in on all the details, and Hermione screamed out right when she heard what was on the back of Quirrell's head.**

"Damn near did as well," Lily shuddered.

**When he was done Ron's first question was that since the Stone was gone, Flamel was just going to die?**

"Well when you put it like that, it sounds awful," Remus chuckled.

**Harry agreed that's what he had said, but then repeated what Dumbledore had told him. Ron said that Dumbledore was crazy, but hardly looked upset over this.**

"A feeling I share," Sirius laughed.

**Then Harry asked what had happened to them, and Hermione says how she went back and got Ron, and they were going up to the owlery to write a note to Dumbledore when they met him in the entrance hall,**

"Entrance hall?" James said, frowning, "the owlery is up in the turrets, and they were on the third floor. What did they go down for?"

"Took a wrong secret passage," Harry answered, he had asked them this himself later. "Hermione was leading, and they were in so much of a panic, they decided not to risk taking any more. They wound up at the top of the stairs and there was the entrance hall..." he trailed off, then waved Remus on.

**and Dumbledore's only words were that Harry had gone after him, hadn't he? Then Ron asks if Dumbledore meant to set the whole thing up, like by sending Harry the cloak.**

"I'll kill him," Lily vowed, "encouraging you to do that!"

"Lily," Remus said uneasily, but she looked like she was going red in the face as she snarled, "No Remus. Nothing you say will make this alright. Nothing Dumbledore says could make this alright. If he intended-"

"I'm not defending him," Remus said hotly back, "what I'm saying is give the bloody man a chance."

Lily paused, giving him an odd look, while he explained, "You made us promise not to kill Snape because of what we thought of him, well now I'm asking you to do the same. Dumbledore is the greatest wizard there is, and while I can fault him for a lot of things in this year," he waved the book around just to make sure they understood what he meant, "I'll not have you condemn him without all the facts. Six more books Lily, then you can go kill him if you want."

Lily deflated, but finally said, "Yes, alright, agreed."

James and Sirius were looking between the two wide eyed like a tennis match, but after a few more moments Remus continued.

**Hermione disagreed, he wouldn't do that, Harry could have been killed.**

Lily muttered something under her breath, but not loud enough for anyone to hear.

**Harry said that he thinks instead of Dumbledore discouraging them, he may have just been trying to help them along, like he thought Harry had a right to face Voldemort.**

Lily opened her mouth in protest, but quickly snapped it shut. She came to the conclusion that if she started nagging on everything she thought Dumbledore did, rather than the man himself saying it, she was no better than the four boys around here this whole book. So she kept her mouth shut, and contented herself with mental scathing.

**Ron repeated that Dumbledore was off his rocker. Then he changed the subject to the end-of-year feast tomorrow. Even though all of the points were in and Slytherin had won, because Harry had missed the last Quidditch match,**

James groaned, saying, "this is why you have a reserve team."

"Maybe they still won with a quick replacement," Remus offered without any real hope.

**that Ravenclaw had pummelled them without Harry,**

"Never mind," he sighed.

"Who did replace you anyways?" Sirius asked.

"Some seventh year who Charlie beat out of the team all those years ago," Harry shrugged, he'd never asked for details to angry at himself for missing the match.

**but at least the food would be good. Before Harry could respond though, Madam Pomfrey came back over and told them they had to get out now, Harry had to rest!**

"Bossy, bossy, bossy," Remus muttered. As good as her intentions were, the thing he hated the most about his condition was being cut off from his friends so much.

**The next day Harry was trying to convince the matron to let him go to the feast, and she agreed that Dumbledore had allowed this in a rather stiff tone, like she thought feasts were far too dangerous.**

"Well you can't blame her since that time we released a horde of fire salamanders our last day there," James chuckled, no one would ever forget that ceremony.

**Then she told Harry that he had another visitor, and Hagrid walked in, took one look at Harry, and began crying.**

"Aw," Lily smiled, "in all of this, I can't even be mad at Hagrid for his slip."

"Agreed," the boys all said.

**He began sobbing that this was all his fault, if he hadn't slipped about Fluffy, and how he shouldn't have fallen for something like a dragon egg.**

"In consolation, he didn't know that at the time," Remus said bracingly, like Hagrid was really there to comfort him. "Otherwise I'm positive you wouldn't have said a word."

**Then he swore he'd never drink again. Exclaiming how he should be forced to live with Muggles.**

"I think they only do that to wizards who can't be rehabilitated in Azkaban," James said, frowning. "Hagrid's never done anything to deserve that."

"Rehabilitated?" Sirius snorted. "They bloody lose their souls in that place."

"Can we not talk about this," Lily groaned, she didn't want to think about that horrid place any more then possible, and Harry was looking a little funny at the mention of the place.

**Harry tried to comfort him, saying surely Voldemort would have figured all of that out some other way.**

"True as well," Remus agreed.

**Hagrid told him not to say the name, and in retaliation, Harry screamed Voldemort, which stunned Hagrid so much he stopped crying.**

"I've never tried that," James said thoughtfully, "you think if we just yell it loud enough people will get over it?"

Lily snorted and shook her head in disbelief, but since James clearly didn't mean it she didn't say anything.

**Harry said that because he'd met him, he was going to call him by his name.**

'Wish you hadn't met him' they were all thinking.

**Harry tried to convince Hagrid to cheer up, and handed him a Chocolate Frog.**

"That cheers everyone up," Remus said, smiling eagerly.

**Hagrid did marginally cheer up then, and said that he'd gotten Harry a present. Dumbledore had given him the day off for him to work on it, though in his opinion he should have been fired instead.**

They were all very curious to see what Hagrid had gotten Harry this time. Despite the disastrous consequences of his Christmas gift, he was still the one person through this entire story that had been keeping an eye out for Harry, that wasn't a student anyways. True he had made some disastrous mistakes, but who hadn't in their life?

**Hagrid gave him a book, and when Harry flipped it open, he found a photo album filled with pictures of his mother and father.**

"Oh," Lily murmured, looking about ready to burst into tears again.

"Thank Merlin," James breathed, "I'd hate for your only image of us to be some spooky old mirror."

Harry was smiling sadly, very much wishing he had that book now, having looked through it so many times he would have wanted to ask exactly when and why each picture had been taken.

**Hagrid had apparently sent owls off to all of Harry's parents old school friends asking for these, then asked if Harry liked it.**

Remus and Sirius exchanged very depressed looks, knowing that they probably hadn't been on that list.

"You were in the book," Harry said slowly, looking at Sirius with a new light, then he smiled and said, "I knew it. I thought I had some memory of you, but it must have been your picture I'd seen. The wedding photo."

Sirius went bright eyed at that saying, "You saw me? That's awesome, here we were both getting depressed you'd never even know we existed."

Harry smiled and nodded, but the moment Remus kept reading, the less sure he felt. There was a picture of Sirius in his parent's scrapbook, but that wasn't the feeling he had of Sirius. It must be though, what else could it be?

**Harry was speechless with gratitude.**

**Harry was finally released from the Hospital wing after that and made his way down to the Great Hall, finding the place decked out in Slytherin colours, but trying to ignore that plus all of the stares he was receiving as he sat in between Ron and Hermione.**

"I just had Déjà vu' to your first day there," James wanted to laugh, but at Harry's annoyed look, he held himself back.

**Then Dumbledore took to his feet and began addressing the students, saying that he was happy they had a good school year, and happier they had a whole summer to forget it all.**

"I wish some students hadn't taken that to heart," Lily said lightly.

James and Remus gave her annoyed looks, but Sirius actually laughed for a moment before he realized Lily had meant them, then he just scowled at her without any real heat.

**Then he began addressing the House Cup, stating all of the house points. Slytherin cheered wildly, and Harry felt sick at watching Draco Malfoy cheer along.**

"Maybe next year you won't go pulling as many stupid stunts, and you'll actually earn points," Lily said without any real hope.

James snorted, for some reason he highly doubted that. Then Lily looked at Harry's face, and she agreed it was wishful thinking.

**Dumbledore gave them congratulations, then said that recent events had to be accounted for.**

"Recent events?" Sirius asked.

"They stop counting the last day before exams start," Remus puzzled.

**Then Dumbledore said he was going to give out some last-minute points,**

James went wide eyed before he gasped, "you mean he's going to award you three with house points for what you did?"

Harry muttered, "us four," but not loud enough that Remus stopped to ask.

**and started with Ronald Weasley, who went bright purple in shock, looking like a sunburnt radish.**

"I officially cannot meet your friend without laughing at him," James chuckled.

**Dumbledore awarded him fifty house points for his champion chess skills.**

"That bumped you to third place," Lily sighed, this didn't seem fair to her at all. Through the whole of their first year, Harry and his friends had constantly broke the rules, and been awarded for it. The only time they had been punished, and still Harry was almost put in danger because of it. She really, really didn't like this pattern that was forming.

**The Gryffindors all began cheering, Percy beside himself with pride as he boasted that was his kid brother who had gotten past McGonagall's chess set.**

"So they do know some of what happened," Sirius said in surprise.

**Once things had quieted down again, he went to Hermione, awarding her fifty points for her use of logic.**

"The three of you are going to win that hundred and fifty points back," Remus surmised.

"But that would leave them twenty points short," Lily added up.

"So Dumbledore's rewarding you guys for what you did, but not so much that you beat out another house," James said approvingly.

Lily sighed, she wished they weren't rewarded for it at all. She was proud of her son for what he did yes, but if he came to the conclusion that it was alright now to go breaking rules and then expected to be awarded, they were going to have a hard six books to come.

**Then he went on to Harry, awarding him sixty points for his use of courage.**

"Never mind, they did tie," Lily rolled her eyes.

"Has there ever been a tie?" James asked.

"No, not that I can think of," Remus said, "so this might be interesting."

**Harry was cheering along with everyone else, but then as he added it up, he realized they were now tied with Slytherin. Dumbledore wasn't done yet though, as he finally went on to Neville, awarding him ten points for having stood up to his friends.**

All four adults couldn't help themselves. Despite how wrong they felt this was, they all said, "Congratulations," and Harry's eyes light up like Christmas all over again. Mostly though, they were just proud of him, and happy that Neville had been rewarded as well for what he had done. What's done is done.

**The whole Hall went wild, everyone was pleased that the Slytherin's had lost the cup. McGonagall and Snape got to their feet and shook hands, a rather forced smile in place on the later.**

"Oh, I'm sure he's very pleased about all of this," Sirius laughed.

**Snape caught Harry's eye, and he could tell that Snape's feelings towards him hadn't changed one little bit.**

"Can't say I'm surprised," James sighed.

"Disappointed though," Lily muttered.

**Harry knew that this was the best night of his life, better than playing Quidditch, or his Christmas, or even knocking out trolls.**

"Knocking out mountain trolls is a good memory now?" Lily asked.

"Well when you look back, yeah, I was pretty proud of that incident," Harry shrugged.

**Before he knew it, the school year was over, they were being handed their final grades, and even the neanderthal students like Crabbe and Goyle had managed to scrape through, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything.**

"Has anyone ever gotten such bad marks they were thrown out?" Sirius laughed.

"You should try it sometime," Lily said sweetly.

"Why do you keep picking on me," Sirius grumbled.

"Because you know I don't mean it," she shrugged, eyes twinkling.

Sirius couldn't help it, he smiled back.

**Notes were handed out reminding that magic wasn't allowed on holidays,**

"Pointless really for the purebloods," James laughed.

**despite Fred saying how he always hoped no one would remember to hand those out.**

"Even if they forgot to give them to you, the rule would still apply," Lily giggled.

**Their suitcases were packed, and they were all back on the boats with Hagrid to head back to the train. The three friends had a memorable trip, filled with candy and games, and then they were pulling back onto the platform.**

"Oh no," Remus groaned.

"What's the matter," James demanded, Remus looked like he didn't know whether to be angry or sad, and it was rather an odd, torn expression.

"I've just realized where he's heading back to," he sighed.

"Crap," Sirius hissed in disdain.

"You know what, I lied," Lily told Harry, going a shade of red in the face at remembered anger, "I'll take the mountain troll."

"Last you left, they weren't speaking to you," James groaned. "So I suppose if you just have to put up with that for three months, it won't be too bad."

Harry kept quiet, knowing full well it was better not to say anything he was thinking about the Dursley's to this lot, and just mentally preparing more calming speeches about why they shouldn't kill them yet.

**It took some time for all of the wizards to pass back through the barrier, as it would be kind of obvious if they all crowded out at once.**

Despite the sudden dread, they all couldn't help but laugh a bit at that mental image.

**While waiting, Ron mentioned how he wanted Harry to come over during the summer.**

"Yes," all four of them said at once, glad Harry's friend didn't wait till another year to ask.

"Hell, please let him stay all summer," James begged.

Harry blinked, having an odd feeling about bars being ripped off of windows? Something involving Ron? He had no idea.

**As people were passing by them, random people called out a farewell to Harry. Ron laughed and said that Harry was still famous, and Harry corrected not where he was headed to.**

"Wish you had told them exactly why," Lily muttered.

"Why didn't you?" Remus demanded.

"I just made some snide comments every now and then, like that first day I met Ron," Harry shrugged. He hadn't really believed that, whatever he said, he'd be taken away from the Dursley's, so he never thought to tell anyone. What good would it do?

**It was their turn to exit then, and the first people they spotted was Ron's family, including his younger sister who squealed in delight at seeing Harry Potter.**

Lily rolled her eyes, how young was this kid again?

Harry however was smiling indulgently, like he thought that was the cutest thing in the world. Odd though, since back then he'd just felt embarrassed.

**Mrs. Weasley greeted Harry with warmth, asking if he had a busy year. Harry's only response was to say, very.**

"Why do you over exaggerate every punishment you should have gotten, but can't be bothered in these moments," James laughed.

**Harry thanked her for the sweater, but then he spotted the Dursleys, as outraged as ever to see the nerve of Harry existing.**

"I can't believe the nerve of your ugly face," Remus grumbled.

**Mrs. Weasley greeted them as well, asking if they were Harry's family.**

"Hardly," Lily muttered scathingly.

"Ron, Hermione, and Hagrid are better family than that lot of slugs," James hissed.

**Vernon's reply was only in a manner of speaking, then he turned to Harry and told the boy to hurry up, he didn't want to wait all day on him.**

Remus half considered it a bleeding miracle the man had even shown up to get Harry, considering the last time he'd only dropped him off as a cruel joke.

Sirius puzzled over something, thinking back to those awful first three chapters when he had felt like a murderous psychopath, and came to the suddenly odd conclusion that Vernon had never actually called Harry by his name. He had just called him boy at every opportunity. It seemed a miracle Harry even knew his name. Well the first chapter said Vernon never even learned Harry's name, maybe this was implying he never had. Sirius couldn't decide whether to laugh at the man's stupidity, or crack the man's head open and let all the dust out.

**Harry still hung back for a last word with his friends, Ron promising he'd see him over the holidays, Hermione wishing him well with an uncertain look over at Harry's Uncle, clearly shocked at how unpleasant he as.**

"You haven't heard the worst of it," Lily snapped.

**Harry suddenly got a huge grin as he promised that he would have fun over the holidays,**

"Why?" James asked, "cause you know how to curse Dudley now?"

Harry just chuckled, that momentary memory of something bad happening gone in an instant to be replaced by what he had been feeling then.

**because the Dursleys didn't know he wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school. He was going to have a lot of fun with his cousin this summer.**

"Oh," they all said brightly.

Lily frowned in concern at once, as she knew full well Petunia did know that rule, as she constantly reminded it of her whenever the slightest odd thing happened. Hopefully Harry wouldn't get into too much trouble because of it...

"Okay, that could be some potential for a lot of fun," James said, an evil grin spreading across his face.

"That's the end of this book," Remus said, glancing down at the last two words.

"Well I think it's time for dinner then," Lily said getting to her feet.

"I can help," Harry offered, following her into the kitchen

"No dear, I won't even let your father help, this is my thing. Go badger the boys with fifty questions I know you've been holding back."

Harry smiled at her, but did as he was told, walking back in to find them all laughing about some of the pranks they had pulled back in school, but there was a dark undertone to it. They seemed to be focusing on the ones that had disastrous, unplanned side effects. Several students seemed to have wound up in the hospital wing because of them.

Harry didn't want to think about the Dursley's when he was in such good company now, so he threw out the first question that came to mind. "So about that awful Quidditch match?" Harry began cautiously.

"Really?" James laughed. "You want to bring that up now? After everything we've just read?"

Harry merely shrugged, as far as he was concerned, he was alright. He didn't even feel any lingering trauma from this, which didn't bode well for his mental health, or this gut feeling that this wasn't his only deadly encounter. So he did what he had been watching his family do this whole time, deflect. "Yes," he said simply.

Sirius sighed and began, "Alright, yeah, you've earned it. So it was my fifth year right, and just before the game I was mad and distracted, which is probably why I didn't notice that my little brother, Regulus, was a Seeker for the Slytherin team, in his second year! Scrawny little git, I wouldn't have believed he could stay on a broom that was almost as big as him."

Shaking his head in remembrance, though with his mixed feelings about his brother he really couldn't decide if they were fond or not, he kept going, "anyways, so after I had basically ignored him for the past two years, I didn't see any reason to change that now, and the game went on as usual. That is until James went to make our fifth goal in a row, and one of the Slytherin beaters on the team lost it. I'll admit, I was distracted by watching Regulus, so I didn't see him, guy's name was Runcorn I think, big ol' sixth year. Yeah anyways, he knocked a bludger right at James, who didn't have the quaffle at the time mind you, and I did what any beater would and dove down to intercept."

Sirius paused again, frowning a bit and saying, "Don't rightly remember the rest of it, since that's the last thing I remember before waking up in the hospital wing."

"Well we do," Remus said, looking pale as he glared at his friend, who clearly looked like he wanted the story to end there. Knowing that wasn't fair, he turned to Harry and finished, "Sirius was coming in from one direction to block the Bludger, and Regulus came in from the other, he must have seen the snitch or something. James tried to cut away, but having three things pelting him at once, it's no wonder he collided with one of them, which happened to be Regulus. All three boys managed to dodge impact however, but then Runcorn blew the second Bludger in their direction, and still disoriented from that three way near knock out, one of the three didn't have time to move out of the way..." he trailed off, wincing in disgust.

"It was awful," James agreed, "that thing hit Sirius in the back of the head, and he fell nearly forty feet to the ground. Everyone was distracted by calling a foul on both teams."

"I thought he was dead," Remus said, looking like he was going to pass out while looking his friend full in the face, "I didn't even realize he wasn't in the air any more, and when I saw him on the ground below-"

"But I'm not," Sirius said loudly, mimicking Harry earlier, but hey it had worked then right. "Spent a while in the hospital wing, and then I was as good as new."

Lily was looking genuinely upset for all of them, not having attended this game, she couldn't even imagine the trauma of seeing that now. She had been listening in from the kitchen, rather curious to hear that story herself.

Harry smiled around at them, as he decided to let the story go. His family clearly didn't like revisiting the incident. Yet this shared memory only reinforced what he knew for a fact back when he had first woken up and laid eyes on these people. They were all loving, caring, and his. Nothing would ever change that.

* * *

Finally done! ...redone? Not the point! I'll have the next book up within the week, and before we know it we'll be right on track again in the third book! Thank you all so much to infinity for your constant support of this, it never would have made a comeback without you all.

Thoughts on Philosopher's Stone:

The first book of this series does an excellent job right off the bat of showing you exactly what you're getting for the next seven, yes still seven I'll get to that latter, books. Whimsical fun mixed with a healthy dose of 'this is some real shit you need to learn to survive.' Magic is only introduced and teased until you hit chapter 6, and even then you only get the real life experience of what's been building up in 8. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is such a fascinating space I swear you could throw the most boring person in the world, like Vernon for instance, in there and you'd still find something interesting in that school. Harry being the focal point really makes you feel like you're there, because he's not much of an opinionated person. While traveling through him you don't get his impressions, you just see what he does and you gather your own opinion of it. The characters are introduced at an excellent pace, it quickly sets up their character, but then as the story progresses you realize there's more depth to them and you get to watch them interact and change throughout the year. Even subtle future plot points are laid out that you won't even notice until your second read through. Fourth favorite in the series, 10/10 for me, would recommend to anyone of any age.

*I couldn't find a way to work it into the book, but the reason Dumbledore flew instead of getting there quicker was because of Fudge. At the beginning of the book Hagrid mentioned how Dumbledore got messages from the man all the time, and Dumbledore was more than tired of having to arrive and help the man, so he was dragging his feet if you will to go up there. They don't even meet Fudge until the second book, and they don't see his true colors until the fifth, and by that time this really wouldn't have a reason to cross their mind. Found that interesting.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Thin Pages Book 1: Philosopher's Stone](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7174118) by [Queen_Of_Creating](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Of_Creating/pseuds/Queen_Of_Creating)




End file.
